52 WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



her nest, containing two of my wooden song thrush 

 eggs, which were about twice the size of her own. 

 I watched her cover the dummies over and over 

 again, and never once did she show the slightest 

 sign of suspicion in regard to the deception. 



I tried my counterfeits upon a ringed plover 

 one day, but her intelligence proved superior to 

 unreasoning maternal passion. The incubating 

 bird would not sit down upon the shams, which 

 she hammered with her bill in a most sceptical 

 fashion. When I had given her a fair trial, I 

 took one of the three wooden eggs away, and 

 added two of the bird's own. In a little while 

 she came back, and tried to turn the deceptions 

 out of her nest, but, failing to accomplish her 

 desire, reluctantly sat down and covered good 

 and bad alike. 



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