SPOTTED FLY-CATCHER. 203 



ance of the bird, although we could perceive no sound that 

 acquainted us of her approach. 



As before-mentioned, the little nestlings sat upon an 

 upper perch, but were not always near enough to the wires 

 of the cage to be within reach of the parent when she 

 appeared with food, which circumstance afforded an oppor- 

 tunity for a display of sagacity on the part of the robin 

 before -mentioned, which we could not have credited if we 

 had not seen it. 



This little creature, who had for some time been an in- 

 habitant of the cage, where he lived in perfect harmony 

 with all his associates, had from the first shown great interest 

 in the little Fly-catchers, and now, perceiving that the 

 nestlings could not reach the offered food, but sat with 

 their wings fluttering, and their mouths open, anxious to 

 obtain it, flew to the wires, received the insects from the 

 mother bird, and put them into the open mouths of the 

 nestlings. This curious action was witnessed by ourselves 

 and several friends, and occurred not once only, but was 

 repeated every succeeding day, as often as his services were 

 required ; he seemed as watchful for the return of the 

 parent Fly-catcher as the little ones themselves, and always 

 ready to act the part of carrier when necessary, but when 

 he saw that his assistance was not wanted he quietly looked 

 on. 



The food brought by the Fly-catcher consisted generally, as 

 far as we could judge, of honey-bees, living, struggling bees ; 

 sometimes two or three were brought at once, and transferred, 

 still alive and struggling, to the mouths of the little ones, by 

 whom they were eagerly swallowed. On two or three occa- 

 sions the robin was observed, on receiving the bee from the 

 Fly-catcher, to pause with it in his beak, as if in a fit of ab- 

 sence, and then to swallow it himself, but, to his honour be it 

 spoken, this was not observed to take place more than two 



