242 NATURAL HISTORY 



LETTER XIV. 



TO THE SAME. 



DEAR SIR, SELBORNE, March 26, 1773. 



THE more I reflect on the oropyvf of animals, the more I 

 am astonished at its effects. Nor is the violence of 

 this affection more wonderful than the shortness of its 

 duration. Thus every hen is in her turn the virago of 

 the yard, in proportion to the helplessness of her brood; 

 and will fly in the face of a dog or a sow in defence of 

 those chickens, which in a few weeks she will drive 

 before her with relentless cruelty. 



This affection sublimes the passions, quickens the 

 invention, and sharpens the sagacity of the brute crea- 

 tion. Thus a hen, just become a mother, is no longer 

 that placid bird she used to be, but with feathers stand- 

 ing on end, wings hovering, and clocking note, she runs 

 about like one possessed. Dams will throw themselves 

 in the way of the greatest danger in order to avert it 

 from their progeny. Thus a partridge will tumble along 

 before a sportsman in order to draw away the dogs 

 from her helpless covey. In the time of nidincation 

 the most feeble birds will assault the most rapacious. 

 All the Hirundines of a village are up in arms at the 

 sight of a hawk, whom they will persecute till he leaves 

 that district. A very exact observer has often remarked 

 that a pair of ravens nesting in the rock of Gibraltar 

 would suffer no vulture or eagle to rest near their 

 station, but would drive them from the hill with an 

 amazing fury: even the blue thrush at the season of 

 breeding would dart out from the clefts of the rocks to 

 chase away the kestril, or the sparrow hawk. If you 

 stand near the nest of a bird that has young, she will 

 not be induced to betray them by an inadvertent fond- 



