244 CL*ASS AVES. 



corner of a wire cage, and placed it on the outside of a win- 

 dow. I chose a situation in a room, where I could perceive 

 all that should happen, without being myself seen. The 

 young animals soon cried for food. In a short time both 

 parents, having their bills filled with small caterpillars, came 

 to the cage, and after chatting a little, as we should do with 

 a friend, through the lattice of a prison, gave a small worm 

 to each. This parental intercourse continued regularly for 

 some time, till the young ones were completely fledged, 

 and had acquired a considerable degree of strength. I then 

 took one of the strongest of them, and placed him on the out- 

 side of the cage, in order to observe the conduct of the parents, 

 after one of their offspring was emancipated. In a few 

 minutes, both parents arrived as usual, loaded with food. 

 They no sooner perceived that one of their children had 

 escaped from prison, than they fluttered about, and made 

 a thousand noisy demonstrations of joy, both with their 

 wings and their voices. These tumultuous expressions of 

 unexpected happiness, at last gave place to a more calm and 

 soothing conversation. By their voices, and their movements, 

 it was evident that they earnestly entreated him to follow 

 them and to fly from his present dangerous state. He seemed 

 to be impatient to obey their mandates ; but by his gestures, 

 and the feeble sounds he uttered, he plainly expressed that he 

 was afraid to try an exertion he had never before attempted. 

 They, however, incessantly repeated their solicitations : by 

 flying, alternately, from the cage to a neighbouring chimney- 

 top, they endeavoured to show him how easily the journey 

 was to be accomplished. He at last committed himself to the 

 air, and alighted in safety. On his arrival, another scene of 

 clamorous and active joy was exhibited. Next day I repeated 

 the same experiment, by exposing another of the young ones 

 on the top of the cage. I observed the same conduct with 



