106 



16 



alarm, on which, in the course of a few seconds, all the birds in the neighbourhood collected to 

 see what was the cause of it. The Blackbirds hopped round about the house again and again, 

 made every effort to peep into the interior, and even alighted on the top of it, within a few 

 inches of my head ; but they at length gave up the attempt. 



" ' From two to three o'clock the female feci them twice ; and from three to four o'clock the 

 male fed them three, and the female four times. 



" ' That some of the notes of birds are a language which conveys a direct meaning, may, I 

 presume, be inferred from the following interesting occurrence, which took place at half-past 

 three o'clock, an occurrence which I witnessed with the most anxious curiosity, and which I 

 could scarcely have believed had I not seen it. The female having brought a large worm, I am 

 sure more than four inches in length, put it into the mouth of one of the young, and then flew 

 away. Upon her return, having perceived that it was sticking in its throat, she set up the moan 

 of distress. To her assistance her cry immediately brought her partner, who likewise seemed to 

 be aware of the consequences. To force it down they made several efforts, but in this they were 

 unsuccessful. Strange to tell, the male at length discovered the cause of the catastrophe. That 

 part of the worm which by being entangled among the feathers of the breast had been prevented 

 from going down, be carefully disengaged, and held it up with his bill, until, after the most 

 unusual efforts, the young bird at length swallowed it. But so much exbausted was it that it 

 remained nearly three hours without moving, and with its eyes shut. The male, having alighted 

 upon a tree a few yards from his nest, poured forth some of his most enchanting notes, a song 

 of rejoicing, no doubt, for the narrow escape from death which one of his family had just made. 



"' From four to five o'clock the male fed them three, and the female four times ; from five 

 to six o'clock the female fed them only twice, and from six to seven o'clock she fed them three 

 times. In the evening the male was so much engaged in singing, that he left the charge of his 

 family almost entirely to his tender-hearted spouse. 



" ■ From seven to eight o'clock the male fed them only once, and the female six times ; and 

 from eight to twenty minutes before nine o'clock, when they ceased from their mutual labours, 

 the male fed them once, and the female seven times. When I left my retreat, to repair to my 

 more comfortable abode, the male was pouring forth his most charming melody. 



"'Thus, in the course of a single day, the male fed the young forty-four, and the female 

 fed them sixty-nine times. 



" Before these birds fed their young, they always alighted upon a tree, and looked around 

 them for a few seconds. They sometimes brought in a quantity of worms, and fed the whole of 

 their brood alternately; at other times they carried in only one worm, and gave it to one of 

 them. The worms were very large, owing, no doubt, to some heavy showers of rain which had 

 fallen on the previous day. This may perhaps be the reason why they fed them so seldom, 

 compared with the number of times that the Thrushes, which I watched a few days before, gave 

 food to their brood. The weather was then very dry, and the worms were considerably smaller. 



" ' 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 most 

 intimately acquainted; for no sooner did a beast or a bird of prey make its appearance, than 



