OUDKfl HCANHOHKR. .0.11 



nine inchen in Icn/^th, in an rifx^n c.'tgt; witti thr<'<r ynun^f 

 warhlcrh, whicli Usui rwit yet a f'ourtJi of thdr plurna^*-, aiuJ 

 c4)iiU\ not fwfd aliin<'. Far f'nmi devouring, or evwi threaten, 

 ing tliern, the cuckow .ipjxnred, an it wtfre, t/> rMjtp^u't/j' tin- 

 obligation under wliich lie wa.% V) the K{>ecie«. iie ^ufl'trred 

 thoxe little birdH, which did mit exhil>it the Nli/^htcMt fear of 

 him, U) mtek an a>tyhim under \m wingx, juxt an they wtmUl 

 have done under the wingH tif the tnother. On the <»ther 

 hand, a yf)ung owl, f/f the Hatne ye^r, hithert^j fe<J tmly hy 

 the bill, inNtantly devcnjred alive a fourth warbler, which wa/» 

 placed almig with him." 



Home writ<;rH, a little shaken in their o|)inimiH by Kuch factff 

 M the«e, u>ntent themHelvex with a»Merting tliat th(? young 

 cuckow devourM (m\y the little Inrdn which have juxt burxt 

 the Hhell, Hut can any one In-lieve tliir. Uf be jy>w»ible, at an 

 age when it is uitt af)le to take UkhI id it» own ac<;^>rd, and 

 can oidy receive itn nutriment frmn the liill (A' arwrther bird ? 



'VW\n prejudice would sip])eiir U) l>e found^l on the 

 menacing air, like that of a young bird of prey, which the 

 cuckow awiumcN, when it in apjir^iached, and that tixt ior a 

 long time previous U) it« quitting the next. It rjj>en« it»» Ifllb 

 OH if to det<^ the a/lvernary, and defend itiielf — bri»tlei4 up it» 

 plumc*H, raihe« and lowerx itn hcarl repeatedly, tumt* itw.-lf rm 

 it* back, and endesLvtmrti forcibly U> hei'Mt whatevtrr in pre- 

 fented to it. The noiite which it then tnaken in very ximilar 

 to that made by the young hawk. At other timew, if di*- 

 turlx;d ever ht} little, it hinidn fftrth a nort of puffing hound, 

 and moven itK entire body in a heavy mann^rr. 



Thede bird* attain thdr growth very raj^iidly ; but though 

 ▼igoroiM and large, it in generally itome time before they can 

 proride for their own Muttenance, and being confined in cagen, 

 they remain Home monthx without being able to eat alone, or 

 at leaxt without attempting it. Thin, however, may be attri- 

 buterJ U) the Kfirt of aliment which they receive, nich ah 



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