PAIRING OF BIRDS. 89 



I have known a dove-house infested by a pair of white 

 owls, which made great havock among the young pigeons : 

 one of the owls was shot as soon as possible ; but the survivor 

 readily found a mate, and the mischief went on. After some 

 time the new pair were both destroyed, and the annoyance 

 ceased.* 



Another instance I remember, of a sportsman, whose zeal 

 for the increase of his game being greater than his humanity, 

 after pairing time, he always shot the cock-bird of every couple 

 of partridges upon his grounds, supposing that the rivalry 

 of many males interrupted the breed. He used to say, that, 

 though he had widowed the same hen several times, yet he 

 found she was still provided with a fresh paramour, that did 

 not take her away from her usual haunt. 



Again : I knew a lover of setting, an old sportsman, who 

 has often told me, that soon after harvest, he has frequently 

 taken small coveys of partridges, consisting of cock birds 

 alone : these he pleasantly used to call old bachelors. 



There is a propensity belonging to common house cats that 

 is very remarkable ; I mean their violent fondness for fish, 

 which appears to be their most favourite food ; and yet, 

 nature in this instance seems to have planted in them an 

 appetite that, unassisted, they know not how to gratify : for 

 of all quadrupeds, cats are the least disposed towards water ; 



although it did, there is no reason to doubt but the young of that bird 

 would be devoid of its native notes. 



There has been much controversy among naturalists, whether the 

 notes of birds are innate or acquired ; the greater part of which has 

 originated amongst those who argue on general principles without 

 experimenting. We have ourselves instituted these experiments, and have 

 hence proved clearly, that the song of birds is innate. We have brought 

 up repeatedly broods of young chaffinches, and they invariably sang their 

 native notes when they arrived at maturity; and this without the possi 

 bility of their hearing the song of their kindred. Nay, on the contrary, 

 they were brought up in the same room with a gray linnet, and never 

 acquired any of its notes ; but had their peculiar notes, which cannot 

 possibly be mistaken. ED. 



* It is a fact not generally known that owls feed on fish. The Rev. 

 Mr Bree took some young brown owls (strix stridula) from the nest, 

 and placed them among the trees in the garden of Allesley rectory. In 

 that situation the parent birds repeatedly brought them live fish", such 

 as bull-heads, and loach, which they had procured in a neighbouring 

 brook. Many years ago, the gold and silver fish in the fishpond in the 

 garden of Balstrode, the property of the Duke of Portland, were captured 

 by the common brown owl. This fact was discovered by men set to 

 watch the pond. ED. 



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