THE PIE KIND. 



511 



OF BIRDS OF THE FIE KIND. 



CHAPTER XCV1IL 



OF BIRDS OF THE PIE KIND. 



IN marshalling our army of the feathered 

 creation, we have placed in the van a race of 

 birds long bred to war, and whose passion is 

 slaughter ; in the centre we have placed the 

 slow and heavy laden, that are usually brought 

 into the field to be destroyed ; we now come 

 to a kind of light infantry, that partake some- 

 thing of the spirit of the two former, and yet 

 belonging to neither. In this class we must 

 be content to marshal a numerous irregular 

 tribe, variously armed, with different pursuits, 

 appetites, and manners ; not formidably form- 

 ed for war, and yet generally delighting in 

 mischief, not slowly and usefully obedient, and 

 yet without any professed enmity to the rest 

 of their fellow tenants of air. 



To speak without metaphor; under this 

 class of birds we may arrange all that noisy, 

 restless, chattering, teazing tribe, that lies be- 

 tween the hen and the thrush, that, from the 

 size of the raven down to that of the wood- 

 pecker, flutter round our habitations, and, 

 rather with the spirit of pilferers than of rob- 

 bers, make free with the fruits of human in- 

 dustry. 



Of all the other classes, this seems to be that 

 which the least contributes to furnish out the 

 pleasures, or supply the necessities, of man. 

 The falcon hunts for him ; the poultry tribe sup- 

 plies him with luxurious food; and the little 

 sparrow race delight him with the melody of 

 their warblings. Thecranekind make a studied 

 variety in his entertainments; and the class of 

 ducks are not only many of them delicate in 

 their flesh, but extremely useful for their fea- 

 thers. But in the class of the pie kind, there 

 are few, except the pigeon, that are any way 

 useful.' They serve rather to teaze man, than 

 to assist or amuse him. Like faithless ser- 



vants, they are fond ef his neighbourhood, be- 

 cause they mostly live by his labour ; but 

 their chief study is what they can plunder in 

 his absence, while their deaths make him no 

 atonement for their depredation. 



But though, with respect to man, this whole 

 class is rather noxious than beneficial ; though 

 he may consider them in this light, as false, 

 noisy, troublesome neighbours, yet, with re- 

 spect to each other, no class of birds are so 

 ingenious, so active, or so well fitted for society. 

 Could we suppose a kind of morality among 

 birds, we should find that these are by far the 

 most industrious, the most faithful, the most 

 constant, and the most connubial. The ra- 

 pacious kinds drive out their young before 

 they are fit to struggle with adversity : but the 

 pie kind cherish their young to the last. The 

 poultry class are faithless and promiscuous in 

 their courtship ; but these live in pairs, and 

 their attachments are wholly confined to each 

 other. The sparrow kind frequently over- 

 leap the bounds of nature, and make illicit 

 varieties ; but these never. They live in har- 

 mony with each other ; every species is true to 

 its kind, and transmits an unpolluted race to 

 posterity. 



As other kinds build in rocks or upon the 

 ground, the chief place where these build is in 

 trees or bushes ; the male takes his share in 

 the labours of building the nest, and often re- 

 lieves his mate in the duties of incubation. Both 

 take this office by turns; and when the young 

 are excluded, both are equally active in making 

 them an ample provision. 



They sometimes live in societies ; and in 

 these there are general laws observed, and a 

 kind of republican form of government estab- 

 lished among them. They watch not only for 



