342 INTRODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY. 



the coop. It was immediately concluded that this provision 

 had been brought there by the old Owls, which, no doubt, 

 had been making search in the night-time for their lost young 

 one. And such was, indeed, the fact; for night after night, 

 for fourteen days, was this same mark of attention repeated. 

 The game which the old ones carried to it consisted chiefly of 

 young Partridges, for the most part newly killed, but some- 

 times a little spoiled."* In South America there are Owls 

 which live in burrows excavated by themselves, or by a little 

 quadruped allied to the Rabbit. 



ORDER II. INSESSOEES. PERCHING BIRDS. 



" The ousel-cock, J so black of hue, 



With orange-tawny bill : 

 The throstle, with his note so true ; 



The wren, with little quill ; 

 The finch, the sparrow, and the lark ; 



The plain-song cuckoo grey." SHAKSPEARK. 



THE " Perchers," or, to use the scientific term which has the 

 same meaning, the Insessores, are those birds which are not 

 predaceous like the Falcon; which do not scrape the ground 

 like the barn-door fowl; which are not wading birds like the 

 Heron, nor swimming birds like the Duck. The tribe may be 

 thus indicated by a series of negatives; and it embraces a 

 great variety of birds, differing widely in structure and habits. 

 Even within the narrow limits of our islands, above a hundred 

 species belonging to the present order are enumerated. 



It is obvious that these birds have no exclusive claim to be 

 regarded as Perchers; for Owls, Eagles, and other birds, perch 

 also. But this habit, taken in connexion with peculiarities 

 of structure, suggests a term which, though not strictly appli- 

 cable to them alone, is a very convenient one, and not likely 

 to mislead. It naturally suggests a question "How do birds 

 perch?" by what especial contrivance are they enabled to 

 maintain a firm hold even in sleep, at which time, we know, 

 our hands so soon relax in their power of grasping? The 



* Familiar History of British Birds, vol. i. p. 192. 

 f The Blackbird is sometimes called by this name, and is the species here 

 referred to. Vide Yarrell, note on Ring Ouzel. 



