BIRDS'-NESTS. 119 



great jeopardy. Arming himself with a heavy club, 

 the climber felled the gallant bird to the ground and 

 killed him. In the course of a few days the female 

 had procured another mate. But naturally enough 

 the step-father showed none of the spirit and pluck 

 in defense of the brood that had been displayed by 

 the original parent. When danger was nigh he was 

 seen afar off, sailing around in placid unconcern. 



It is generally known that when either the wild 

 turkey or domestic turkey begins to lay, and after- 

 wards to sit and rear the brood, she secludes herself 

 from the male, who then, very sensibly, herds with 

 others of his sex, and betakes himself to haunts of 

 his own till male and female, old and young, meet 

 again on common ground, late in the fall. But rob 

 the sitting bird of her eggs, or destroy her tender 

 young, and she immediately sets out in quest of a 

 male, who is no laggard when he hears her call. 

 The same is true of ducks and other aquatic fowls. 

 The propagating instinct is strong, and surmounts all 

 ordinary difficulties. No doubt the widowhood I had 

 caused in the case of the woodpeckers was of short 

 duration, and chance brought, or the widow drummed 

 up, some forlorn male, who was not dismayed by the 

 prospect of having a large family of half-grown birds 

 on his hands at the outset. 



I have seen a fine cock robin paying assiduous ad- 

 ilresses to a female bird, as late as the middle of 

 July ; and I have no doubt that his intentions were 

 honorable. I watched the pair for half an hour 



