COTJRAGE OF PARENT BIRD. 6S 



It is traly wonderful and interesting to remark 

 how the parental instinct works in the lieart of 

 the bird, altogether changing for a time its cha- 

 racter and habits. Fitted for soaring, and restless 

 and volatile beyond any other living creature, yet 

 the hen bird will sit hour after hour, and day 

 after day, upon her cgg^, and in some cases her 

 companion will share in this domestic duty ; while 

 at all times the mother-bird must depend on the 

 care of licr mate for her food. The constant 

 labour of feeding the nestlings becomes a most 

 arduous one, owing to the great quantity which 

 young birds consume ; and as it chiefly consists at 

 that time of the soft bodies of insects, both birds 

 must search actively and labour constantly to 

 aftbrd the supply. Colonel Montagu, who watched 

 the manner in which a pair of Gold-crests fed 

 their young, has recorded several interesting facts 

 on this subject. He placed the nest, when the 

 young Avcre about six days old, in a basket in his 

 study. The parent birds came to them ; the male 

 bird not ha\^ng courage to enter into the room by 

 the window, while the female braved all dangers, 

 and at length would feed her young while this 

 gentleman held the nest in his hand. The male 



