HISTORY OF 



should take all nourishment from the rest, they 

 feed each of the young in their turn. If they 

 perceive that man has been busy with their nest, 

 or has handled the little ones, they abandon the 

 place by night, and provide their brood a more 

 secure, though less commodious retreat. When 

 the whole family is completely plumed, and capa- 

 ble of avoiding danger by flight, they are then 

 led forth when the weather is fine, and taught the 

 paternal art of providing for their subsistence. 

 They are led to the places where their food lies ; 

 they are shown the method of discovering or 

 carrying it away, and then led back to the nest 

 for a day or two longer. At length, when they 

 are completely qualified to shift for themselves, 

 the old ones take them abroad, and leading them 

 to the accustomed places, forsake them for the 

 last time, and all future connexion is for ever at 

 an end. 



Those birds which are hatched and sent out 

 earliest in the season, are the most strong and 

 vigorous ; those, on the other hand, that have 

 been delayed till the midst of summer, are more 

 feeble and tender, and sometimes incapable of 

 sustaining the rigours of the ensuing winter. 

 Birds themselves seem sensible of this difference, 

 and endeavour to produce early in the spring. 

 If, however, their efforts are obstructed by having 

 their nests robbed, or some similar accident, they 

 still persevere in their efforts for a progeny ; and 

 it often happens that some are thus retarded till 

 the midst of winter. What number of eggs any 

 bird can lay in the course of a season, is not 



