CHAP. III. AFFECTION IN BIRDS. 65 



mon hen express some latent feeling of tenderness or 

 fear, hope or expectation. The turtle dove woos his 

 bride with his plaintive song, placing himself in the 

 most winning attitude, and overwhelming her with 

 caresses ; while the little love-parrot sits beside his 

 mate, and feeds her by disgorging into her bill. . If 

 one dies, the other is impressed with the deepest sor- 

 row, and seldom survives its beloved partner. Many of 

 the parrot family are well known to evince a strong and 



lasting affection towards 

 each other. Bonnet men- 

 tions the mutual affec- 

 tion of a pair of those 

 called love birds {fig. 

 14.), who were confined 

 in the same cage. At 

 last, the female falling 

 sick, her companion evinced the strongest marks of at- 

 tachment : he carried all the food from the bottom of 

 the, cage, and fed her on her perch: and when she 

 expired, her unhappy mate went round and round her, 

 in the greatest agitation, attempting to open her bill and 

 give* her nourishment. He then gradually languished ; 

 and survived her death only a few months. 



(84.) It is in the parental character, however, that 

 birds evince their strongest feelings. It is in this 

 capacity that every nerve is exerted, every power em- 

 ployed, every sacrifice cheerfully made. Self seems no 

 longer to be considered, danger no more dreaded ; and 

 death itself is braved, if it secure the safety of their 

 young. The timid hen, casting away her fears, ap- 

 pears with a new spirit when surrounded by her youth- 

 ful progeny ; and she assumes an air of courage and 

 defiance which evinces a determination to assault any 

 enemy who may approach. The most feeble birds, at 

 the season of incubation, assault the strong and fierce ; 

 the weakest will assail the most powerful. It is a 

 well-known fact, that a pair of ravens, which dwelt in a 

 cavity of the rock of Gibraltar, would never suffer a 



F 



