MY PET WOOD THRUSHES. 
201 
sessed a fine male Grosbeak, (the common Ked Bird,) from 
whose parental sympathies, she managed to make a very 
pretty income. I have frequently seen him with three or 
four young birds of different though analagous species, un- 
der his charge at the same time. He raised many fine birds 
for her during the year, and even possessed sufficient sa- 
gacity to adapt the food, in a certain degree, to the difierent 
varieties. I have known her to refuse offers of considerable 
sums for this extraordinary bird. Instances resembling this 
are frequent in Natural History ; but Brownie's is the only 
case in which I have heard of a young bird volunteering 
to undertake such a ministration. 
The story of my other pet is a short but sad one. I was 
walking through the summer grove in which Brownie was 
born, early one morning, when in passing near a tree, in 
which I had observed a Thrush's nest, I saw a young Wood 
Thrush that had no doubt been just helped down from the 
nest by the mother, hopping on the ground at the foot of 
the tree. I saw that it was almost fully fledged, and walked 
towards it very gently. It stopped as it saw me, and draw- 
ing up one foot in the attitude of careless repose, turned up 
its dark, bright eyes, and looked calmly and softly into my 
face. I was astonished that it made no attempt to escape, 
when, evidently so well able to do so, and paused a moment. 
The little creature turned back its bill and lightly trimmed 
a feather of its wing ; then looking up at me again with the 
same indescribably confiding softness, remained motionless, 
as if awaiting me to act. I stooped and took it gently in my 
hand, it made not the slightest movement, even now to es- 
cape, but in a moment nestled itself sweetly in my open 
hand, and still looked into my face with its lovely eyes, as 
confidingly as any seraph might have done, that had waked 
on a sudden, on a smiling earth, and thought it heaven. I 
felt the warm tears gush to my eyes, for I had never before 
seen that fearless innocence of childhood, that can outstare 
the lightning, so touchingly and beautifully illustrated. The 
