Macgilllvray' s Day with this Bird. 31 



this time so exhausted that it lay with its eyes shut and without 

 moving for the next three hours. The male-bird in the mean- 

 time took his stand upon a tree, a few yards from the nest, and 

 poured forth some of his most enchanting notes — a song of re- 

 joicing no doubt for the narrow escape from death of one of his 

 family. 



" From four till seven o'clock both birds again fed their 

 young, after which the male bird left these family duties to his 

 mate, and gave himself up to incessant singing. At twenty 

 minutes to nine their labours ceased, they having then fed their 

 young one hundred and thirteen times during the day. 



" I observed that before feeding their young they always 

 alighted upon a tree and looked round them for a few seconds. 

 Sometimes they brought in a quantity of worms and fed their 

 brood alternately ; at other times they brought one which they 

 gave to only one of them. 



" The young birds often trimmed their feathers, and stretched 

 out their wings ; they also appeared to sleep now and then. 



" With the note of alarm which the feathered tribes set up on 

 the discovery of their enemies all the different species of the 

 little birds seem to be intimately acquainted ; for no sooner did 

 a beast or bird of prey make its appearance, than they seemed 

 to be anxiously concerned about the safety of their families. 

 They would hop from tree to tree uttering their doleful lamen- 

 tations. At one time the blackbirds were in an unusual state of 

 excitement and terror, and were attended by crowds of their 

 woodland friends. A man and boy, who were working in my 

 garden, having heard the noise, ran to see what was the cause 

 of it, and on looking into some branches which were lying on 



