INTRODUCTION. 25 



their care of, and attention to tlieir young, may 

 be held up as examples of parental conduct even 

 to man himself. They continue on unwearied 

 wing, from morning to night, providing for their 

 helpless offspring — they distribute impartially the 

 food thus laboriously procm-ed — they shew the 

 most tender anxiety when danger approaches their 

 brood — and they fearlessly expose themselves to 

 an enemy to ward off the threatened injury. Do 

 not these actions merit our admiration ? Does 

 not the parental conduct of these little creatures 

 display an instinct that seems very neai'ly allied to 

 moral feeling ? And may not man follow then- 

 example mth honour to himself and benefit to 

 his species ? Does not his own peace of mind de- 

 pend much on his children's happiness ? And 

 does not parental kindness or neglect tend to in- 

 crease or diminish the mass of human misery ? 



The length of time an egg remains in the nest, 

 before it is hatched, depends on the size of the 

 bird and egg. The eggs of the thrush, blackbird, 

 and stare, require from seventeen to eighteen days; 

 — ^those of the skylark fi'om fifteen to sixteen ; — 

 and smaller birds fi'om thirteen to fifteen, before 

 the young appear. The operation varies about 



B 



