PREFACE. 
Of the NUPTIALS, NIDIFICATION, and EGGS 
of BIRDS. 
Most birds are monogamous, or pair, in fpring fixing on a 
mate, and keeping conftant, till the cares of incubation and 
educating the young brood is paft. This is the cafe, as far as we 
know, with all the birds of the firft, fecond, fourth, and fifth orders. 
Birds that lofe their mates early, aflfociate with others; and 
Birds that lofe their firft eggs, will pair and lay again. The male 
as well as female of feveral join alternately in the trouble of in- 
cubation, and always in that of nutrition: When the young are 
hatched, both are bufied in looking out for, and bringing food 
to the neftlings ; and, at that period, the mates of the melodious 
tribes, who, before, were perched on fome fprig, and by their 
warbling alleviated the care of the females confined to the neft, 
now join in the common duty. 
Of the Gallinaceous tribe, the greater!: part are polygamous, 
at left in a tame ftate; the Pheasant, many of the Grous, the 
Partridges, and Bustards, are monogamous ; of the Grous, the 
Cock, of the wood, and the Black Game afiemble the females 
during the feafon of love, by their cries : 
Ei venerem incertam rapiunt. 
The males of polygamous birds negleft their young, and, in. 
fome cafes, would deftroy them, if they met with them. The oeco- 
nomy of the Struthious order, in this refpedl, is obfcure. It is 
probable that the three fpecies in the genus Ostrich are poly- 
gamous, like the common poultry, for they lay many eggs ; the 
Dodo is faid to lay but one. 
All. 
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