-'>'i2 CLASS AVES. 



peaceable and durable community, commences from tlie very 

 birth of these inoffensive birds. Born in common, they also 

 live in common. Their society is never disturbed. Love 

 itself, that active element of discord, comes among them in 

 peace, unaccompanied by the jealousies, fears, and altercations 

 which usually constitute its train, and turn to offence and bit- 

 terness theflowers and fruits which spring beneath its footsteps. 

 From the month of February, the season of reproduction 

 commences with the anis, whose disposition is not less 

 amorous than that of the sparrows. During the whole of 

 this period they are much more lively and gay than at any 

 other ; but the good intelligence which reigns amongst them, 

 suffers no diminution. There are no quarrels — ^no combats. 

 The males and females work together at the construction of 

 the nest, which serves for several females at the same time- 

 She that is most pressed to lay, does not wait for the others, 

 who increase the size of the nest, while she is hatching her 

 eggs. This common incubation takes place in the most 

 perfect harmony. The females arrange themselves beside 

 each other, and should the eggs happen to be mixed or joined 

 together, a single female hatches the strange eggs along with 

 her own. She draws them together, and surrounds them 

 with leaves, so that the heat may be equally spread through- 

 out the mass, and not be dissipated. The same good under- 

 standing prevails when the young are disclosed. If the 

 mothers have hatched together, they feed all the young family 

 in succession. The males assist in the furnishing of pro- 

 visions. But when the females have hatched separately, they 

 bring up their young ones apart, but still without jealous 

 interference, or discord. They bring them their food in turn, 

 and the little ones receive it from all the mothers. Thus 

 mildness and peace are invariably the happy attributes of 

 these birds, and the inseparable qualities of their association, 

 their household, and their family. If the ancients, who better 

 knew than we how to derive moral precepts from the various 



