954 NATURAL HISTORY 



This affection sublimes the passions, 

 quickens the invention and sharpens the 

 sagacity of the brute creation. Thus an 

 hen, just become a mother, is no longer 

 that placid bird she used to be, but with 

 feathers standing on end, wings hovering, 

 and clucking note, she runs about like one 

 possessed. Dams will throw themselves in 

 the way of the greatest danger in order to 

 avert it from their progeny. Thus a par- 

 tridge will tumble along before a sportsman 

 in order to draw away the dogs from her 

 helpless covey. In the time of nidification 

 the most feeble birds will assault the most 

 rapacious. All the hir undines of a village 

 are up in arms at the sight of an hawk, 

 whom they will persecute till he leaves that 

 district. A very exact observer has often 

 remarked that a pair of ravens nesting in 

 the rock of Gibraltar would suffer no vuU 

 ture or eagle to rest near their station, but 

 would drive them from the hill with an 

 amazing fury : even the blue thrush at the 

 season of breeding would dart out from the 

 clefts of the rocks to chase away the kestril, 



