HAWKING-BIRDS. 
the whole. Her family, in June, 1831, consisted of nine ; the 
original number was ten, but one had been lost. When flesh 
was given to her, she was very assiduous in tearing and offer- 
ing it as food to her nurslings, and appeared uneasy if, after 
taking small portions from her, they turned away to pick up 
grain.” 
M. Fontaine relates a story of a buzza,rd that he had tamed, 
and that lived on terms of strictest friendship with his entire 
household, including four cats, with whom he would take his food. 
Off the premises, however, he was as true a buzzard as ever, 
and made prey wherever and whenever he could. To save him 
from harm, M. Fontaine had to make it known that he would 
pay all damage caused by his buzzard. At last, however, the 
bird came to grief. “ I had been used to call him every even- 
ing with a whistle, which he did not answer for six days ; but on 
the seventh I heard a feeble cry at a distance, which I judged 
to be that of my buzzard. I repeated the whistle a second 
time, and heard the same cry. I went to the place from 
whence the sound came, and, at last, found my poor buzzard 
with his wing broken. He had travelled more than half a 
league on foot to regain his asylum, from which he was then 
distant about a hundred and twenty paces. Though he was 
extremely reduced, he gave me many caresses. It was six 
weeks before he was recruited and his wounds were healed ; 
after which he began to fly as before, and follow his old habits 
for about a year ; he then disappeared for ever.” 
25G 
