354 VERTEBRATA. AVES. 



Ham Bartram, was witness to a touching instance 

 of maternal courage and affection in a bird of this 

 genus (T. Macularia). He informed Wilson " that 

 he saw one of these birds defend her young for a 

 considerable time from the repeated attacks of a 

 Ground Squirrel : the scene of action was on the 

 river shore. The parent had thrown herself, with 

 her two young behind her, between them and the 

 land ; and at every attempt of the Squirrel to seize 

 them by a circuitous sweep, raised both her wings in 

 an almost perpendicular position, assuming the most 

 formidable appearance she was capable of, and rushed 

 forwards on the Squirrel, who, intimidated by her 

 boldness and manner, instantly retreated ; but, pre- 

 sently returning, was met as before in front and 

 on flank by the daring and affectionate bird, who 

 with her wings and whole plumage bristling up, 

 seemed swelled to twice her usual size. The young 

 crowded together behind her, apparently sensible 

 of their perilous situation, moving backwards and 

 forwards as she advanced or retreated. This inte- 

 resting scene lasted for at least ten minutes ; the 

 strength of the poor parent began evidently to flag, 

 and the attacks of the Squirrel became more daring 

 and frequent, when the benevolent spectator, like 

 one of those fabled celestial agents who, in Homer's 

 verse, so often decide the palm of victory, stepped 

 forward from his retreat, drove the assailant back 

 to his hole, and rescued the innocents from destruc- 

 tion."* 



* Am. Orn. vol. iii. p. 90. (Con. Mis.) 



