BLYTH ON THE DISPOSITION OF ANIMALS. 113 



former had retired to roost. The next morning-, what was the asto- 

 nishment of my friend, to find the bird, which I had given him, 

 regaling itself on the brains of its companion, which it had killed, 

 holding the head of the dead bird in its claws, and picking it in the 

 same manner that they usually pick a hempseed. It afterwards 

 stripped off the feathers in the usual manner of a bird of prey, and in 

 the course of the day devoured the whole, excepting, of course, the 

 bones, the bill, and the feet. A redpole ( Linaria minor) was held to 

 it, and it shelved the same eagerness to seize it, that a regular bird 

 of prey would have done. This oxeye died the following night, pro- 

 bably from the effects of the contest which it must have had with the 

 other : it appeared when first caught a remarkably savage bird, biting 

 most desperately, and even hanging by its bill to the hand of the man 

 who brought it, when it was not held, but might have flown off 

 if it would. 



I have now in confinement ababillard, (Curruca garrula,) of such 

 a pugnacious and fiery disposition, that I am compelled to keep it by 

 itself. It attacks indiscriminately every bird that is placed with it, 

 though double or treble its own size, plucking out their feathers, 

 and darting about with such agility, that no small bird seems a match 

 for it. This bird has many times attacked and pulled feathers from 

 the oxeye, {Parus major) above mentioned, who, though double its 

 size, flies from it as he would from a shrike : the babillard is gene- 

 rally, if not always, of a very domineering disposition ; but I have 

 frequently known them to live very peaceably along with other birds. 

 Instances of similar diversity of temper must indeed be familiar to 

 all who have paid any attention to animals. 



It is therefore as impossible to judge of ihe character of a whole 

 species from the temper of a single individual, as it would be to judge 

 of a national character from the peculiar disposition of one man. 



Tooting, Surrey, Feb. 1833. 



vol. i. — no. in. 1833. 



