BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
61 
time, until the animal has been drawn to a considerable distance, when 
she throws off the garb of dissimulation, and takes to flight, leaving her 
pursuer standing stock-still and gazing with astonishment and disappoint- 
ment at the remarkable transformation which has just been effected. 
While all this has been going on, the young have scurried away to places 
of shelter and security, where they are afterwards joined by their beloved 
parent, glad to have escaped so fearful a calamity, and grateful for such 
a happy deliverance. 
A more substantial proof of the affection of this female for its young 
could hardly be imagined than that which Wilson gives on the authority 
of Mr. William Bartram. The scene of action is described as being on 
the river shore, and the occasion, the repeated attempts made by a ground 
squirrel to capture two young birds which a parent was trying to defend. 
In order to ward off the assaults of the squirrel, she had thrown her two 
young behind her. At every attempt of the animal to seize them by a 
circuitous swee]), she would raise her wings almost perpendicularly, assume 
the most formidable expression of which she was capable, rush forward 
upon the squirrel, who, intimidated by the boldness of her manner, would 
beat a precijiitate retreat. The enemy, recovering from his defeat, would 
presently return, and renew the attack, but to be ingloriously driven back 
as before. The young, as though sensible of their perilous situation, would 
crowd together behind their protector, and shift their j^osition as she ad- 
vanced or retreated. This interesting scene continued for at least ten 
minutes, when the strength of the poor parent was observed to flag. The 
squirrel perceiving his advantage, became more daring, increased the fre- 
quency of his assaults, and would have gained an easy victory had not 
Mr. Bartram stepped forward from his hiding-place and drove him back 
to his hole, and thus rescued the innocent. 
The eggs of this species are usually abruptly jryriform, of a yellowish- 
buff ground-color, and are marked with blotches and spots of umber and 
sienna, which are collected chiefly about the greater extremity, where they 
are sometimes confluent. Occasionally, some specimens present a more 
