1076 Birds. 



Anecdote of the affection of Bullfinches for their Young. I was much amused at 

 au occurrence which took place a few days ago, showing the affectionate attachment 

 of these pretty and ever cheerful birds to their offspring, and illustrating the gross ig- 

 norance which is so frequently met with in the country, of the cause of events, that up- 

 on a little reflection may easily be traced to a simple and reasonable origin. A lad, 

 who is the son of my gamekeeper, having discovered in the keeper's garden a bull- 

 finch's nest, with three young ones in it, and but a few yards from the house-door, 

 watched the nest till the young birds were full-fledged, and then, unfortunately, took 

 them and put them in a cage hung up in a tree close to the bush where the nest had 

 been built. On the outside of the cage he placed a perch for the old birds to rest on 

 while feeding their young ones through the bars of the cage ; this they continued to 

 do most sedulously for a considerable time. Previous to the old birds' arrival with 

 food, which took place at intervals of but a few minutes, the young birds seemed to 

 have a foreknowledge of their parents' coming, and fluttered about in the cage, and 

 roused themselves up from their before quiet and half-a-sleep state, chirping and show- 

 ing every demonstration of anxiety and pleasure at the expected arrival ; and no soon- 

 er had that event taken place, and the young ones received what the old ones had 

 brought for them, than all was quiet again, until just previous to the next arrival ; — 

 these proceedings continued for many days. On one occasion, I saw this process car- 

 ried on while a friend and myself sat within a few yards only of the cage, resting our- 

 selves in the heat of the day after fly-fishing. The old birds made their appearance 

 several times, and after rather suspiciously eyeing us from a neighbouring tree, fled to 

 the perch on the cage, and there delivered their burthen to their young ones. About 

 three or four days after this, the keeper's son told me the old birds had ceased to come 

 any more to feed their young ones, which he had then to do himself, though he said 

 he often saw the old birds about, and thought they must have made a fresh nest some- 

 where near. This proved to be the case, and he found the old hen bird sitting upon 

 five eggs, in a laurel-bush close to the tree on which the cage hung, and if not within 

 sight, quite within hearing of her former brood, but about whom she and the other 

 parent bird seemed to have given up all further trouble, considering they were old 

 enough to be then left to the fostering care of the keeper's son. However, it so hap- 

 pened about a week afterwards, that from extremely cold evenings and nights, and se- 

 veral successive days rain fell, and of course the few boughs put over the little bull- 

 finches' cage to keep off the too powerful sun, failed to have the same effect with regard 

 to the heavy rains ; and then it was that one day the old hen-bird was seen again ho- 

 vering for a short time about the cage, endeavouring to get at the young ones, and 

 soothing and consoling them by every means in her power, and the three young ones 

 were found at the bottom of the cage, cold, shivering, chirping and wailing with that 

 peculiar melancholy note and plaintive call young birds so often use in seeking the 

 aid of their lost parents. The lad took the cage into the house, and placing it near 

 the fire, two of the young birds recovered, but the other unfortunate nestling died. 

 The lad seemed very sorry for the loss of his bird, but said he was afraid he should 

 lose them, " for a neighbour had told him he would find at last that the old birds would 

 be sure to poison the young ones, when they found they could not release them from their 

 imprisonment : " and this the boy fully believed. The old bird was shortly afterwards 

 seen again on her nest, performing her allotted task of incubation. How singular the 

 instinct which taught her to know exactly how long it was necessary to feed the first 

 brood, ere she dared to leave them to feed themselves with the provisions supplied by 



