194 BIRDS' NESTS. 



small bits of raw meat, or, when that delicacy 

 could be procured, a worm. As the young 

 birds acquired their feathers, he watched her 

 with great interest teaching them to fly, 

 though one of them made so bad use of his 

 newly-acquired power, as, the first time he 

 made use of his wings, to fly into a cistern, 

 where he was drowned before any one could 

 rescue him. 



But, before this sad event, a very singular 

 thing happened. Mr. Miller was one morning 

 walking in the garden, when he heard the 

 repeated cry of a young bird, half in distress 

 and half in anger. Looking down one of the 

 walks he saw a young bird on the ground, 

 standing quite still, but eagerly watching 

 something hid among the bushes, and scream- 

 ing with all its might. Walking up to the 

 place to see what was the matter, Mr. Miller 

 discovered that the object of the little creature's 

 fear or anger was the cat, which stood among 

 the bushes a few feet off, seeming herself 



