162 
OMNIVOROUS BIRDS. 
to a cage on her eggs, on which, with resoltue and fatal 
instinct, she remained faithfuly sitting until she expired. 
The Baltimore bird, though naturally shy and suspicious, 
probably for greater security from more dangerous enemies, 
generally chooses for his nest the largest and tallest spread- 
ing trees near farm-houses, and along frequented lanes and 
roads ; and trusting to the inaccessiblenss of his ingenious 
mansion, he works fearlessly, and scarcely studies con- 
cealment. But, as soon as the young are hatched, here, 
towards the close of June, the whole family begin to leave 
the immediate neighbourhood of their cares, flit through 
the woods, a shy, roving, and nearly silent train ; and 
when ready for the distant journey before them, about the 
end of August or beginning of September, the whole at 
once disappear ; and probably arrive, as with us, amidst 
the forests of South America, in a scattered flock, and 
continue, like Starlings, to pass the winter in celibacy, 
wholly engaged in gleaning a quiet subsistence until the 
return of spring. Then, incited by instinct to prepare 
for a more powerful passion, they again wing their 
way to the regions of the north ; where, but for this won- 
derful providential instinct of migration, the whole race 
would perish in a single season. As the sexes usually 
arrive in different flocks, it is evident, that the conjugal 
tie ceases at the period of migration, and the choice of 
mates is renewed with the season ; during which the 
males carry on their jealous disputes with much obstina- 
cy. From the similarity in the circumstances of mating 
among most other migratory birds, it would appear that 
they obey the same law, depending on the transitory na- 
ture of the sexual feeling, which in autumn is nearly an- 
nihilated. 
