THE SPARROW KIND. 139 



t!:ejr male companions of the flight come down to bear them com- 

 pany. If this be the case, and that the females have unfaithfully led 

 their mates into the nets, they are the first that are punished for their 

 infidelity; the males are only made captives for singing, while the 

 females are indiscriminately killed, and sold to be served up to the 

 tables of the delicate. 



Whatever be the motives that thus arrest a flock of birds in theii 

 flight, whether they be of gallantry or of war, it is certain that the 

 small birds are equally remarkable for both. It is, perhaps, the ge- 

 nial desire that inspires the courage of most animals; and that being 

 greatest in the males, gives them a greater degree of valour than the 

 females. Small birds being extremely amorous, and remarkably 

 brave. However contemptible these little warriors are to larger crea- 

 tures, they are often but too formidable to each other ; and sometimes 

 fight till one of them yields up his life with the victory. But their con- 

 tentions are sometimes of a. gentler nature. Two male birds shall 

 strive in song, till, after a long struggle, the loudest shall entirely si- 

 lence the other. During these contentions, the female sits an atten- 

 tive silent auditor, and often rewards the loudest songster with her 

 company during the season. 



Singing among birds is almost universally the prerogative of the 

 male. With them it is the reverse of what occurs in the human kind. 

 Among the feathered tribe, the heaviest cares of life fall to the lot of 

 the female. Hers is the fatigue of incubation, and to her devolves 

 the principal fatigue of nursing the helpless brood. To alleviate these 

 fatigues, and to support her under them, Nature has given the song to 

 the male. This serves as a note of blandishment at first to attract 

 her affections ; it serves as a note to delight her during the time of 

 her incubation ; but it serves still farther as a note of security, to as- 

 sure her that no danger threatens to molest her. The male, while 

 his mate is hatching, sits upon some neighbouring tree, continuing 

 at once to watch and to sing. While his voice is heard, the female 

 rests in confident security ; and, as the poet expresses it, appears most 

 blessed when most unseen : But if any appearance of danger offers to 

 intrude, the male, that a moment before was so loud and sportive, 

 stops all of a sudden, and this is a most certain signal to his mate to 

 provide for her own security. 



The nest of little birds seems to be of a more delicate contrivance 

 than that of the larger kinds. As the volume of their bodies is smaller, 

 the materials of which their nests are composed are generally warm- 

 er. It is easy to conceive that small things keep heat a shorter tim 

 than those that are large. The eggs, therefore, of small birds re 

 quire a place of more constant warmth than those of great ones, af 

 being liable to cool more quickly ; and accordingly their nests are 

 built warmer and deeper, lined on the inside with softer substances, 

 and guarded above with a better covering. But it sometimes happens 

 that the little architects are disturbed in their operations, and then 

 they are obliged to make a nest, not such as they wish, but such as 

 they can. The bird whose nest has been robbed several times, builds 

 up her last in a very slovenly manner, conscious that from the near 

 approach of winter, she must not take time to give her habitation 

 every possible advantage it is capable of receiving. When the netf 



