REARED BY A HEN. 455 



for the hens. If when thrown from the bridge he was cast 

 sufficiently high into the air as to be enabled to spread his 

 wings properly, he would take a pretty long sweep, to enable 

 him to surmount the hill, and fly directly back again into 

 the poultry-yard. 



" It was his daily practice cunningly to lead the hens to 

 the edge of a grass-plat, or some low step, that he might 

 pair with them;* but though he never succeeded in his 

 attempts, they gave rise to all manner of curious scenes. 

 He was not charged, however, with making love to his 

 foster-mother, the old white hen, whom he gladly fol- 

 lowed everywhere, more especially to such places where food 

 was to be found ; and it was believed that the affection 

 he evinced towards her was fully reciprocated on her part. 

 His fate was sad; for one fine day the kitchen-maid, mis- 

 taking him for another, chopped off his head." 



Eggs are incubated curiously enough at times ; but that 

 they should be hatched by a cat, as related below, is some- 

 what of a novelty. 



" Whilst the shoemaker Defer, the carpenter Faldin, and 

 the son of the latter," writes M. Hamnstrom, " were engaged 

 in measuring some land on the shores of the lake Hjelmar, 

 near to the town of Orebro, they disturbed a wild duck 



* Naturalists, when defining a species, appear to lay no little stress on the 

 fact of birds pairing, or the reverse, with certain other birds ; but it seems to 

 me too much dependence is placed on this matter. Even in a state of nature, 

 from too many of the males, or the females, being killed off, or other causes, 

 birds of quite distinct species do not unfrequently breed together ; and when 

 in confinement, almost anything is game that comes to the net. It is on 

 record, for instance, that a capercali cock had a numerous family with a 

 turkey hen ; and in another instance, a capercali cock made a most determined 

 attempt to pair with a goose. 



