180 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



as they use towards their kittens, and something 

 gamboling after, which proved to be the leveret, that 

 the cat had supported with her milk, and continued , 

 to support with great affection." 



Sir William Jardine adds, " About two years since 

 at a cotter's house in Annandale, Dumfries-shire, a 

 litter of pigs by some accident lost their mother ; at 

 the same time, a pointer bitch happening to pup, 

 and the puppies suffering the lot common to most 

 such, their place was supplied by the pigs, which 

 were well and affectionately nursed by their foster 

 parent*." A similar anecdote has been recorded of 

 a cat suckling puppies f. 



It is not improbable that some such incidents as 

 these gave rise to the relations of exposed children 

 being suckled by wild beasts, such as the celebrated 

 Roman story of the twin brothers, Romulus and 

 Remus, alleged to have been suckled by a wolf. 



The cave of Mars was dressed with mossy greens ; 

 There, by the wolf, was laid the martial twins : 

 Intrepid on her swelling dugs they hung-, 

 The foster dam loll'd out her fawning tongue 

 They suck'd secure> while bending back her head 

 She lick'd their tender limbs;};. 



To return to the accounts of chickens nursed by 

 cocks. " I have had repeated opportunities," says 

 Re'aumur, " of convincing myself with my own eyes 

 that capons perform the office of a mother very well. 



* White's Selborne, Sir W. Jardine's edit. p. 231. 



t* See Menageries, i. 215. 



J Dryden's Virgil. The original is : 



Viridi foetam Mavortis in antro 



Procubuisse lupam ; geminos huic ubera circum 

 Ludere pendentes pueros, et lambere matrem 

 Impavidos ; illam tereti cervice reflexatn 

 Mulcere alternos. dEneid, viii. 



