540 
MISCELLANEA. 
Straw in the waggon, and had hatched their young just before it 
was sent away. One of the old birds, instead of being frightened 
away by the motion of the waggon, only left its nest, from time 
to time, for the purpose of flying to the nearest hedge for food 
for its young; thus alternately affording warmth and nourish¬ 
ment to them, it arrived at Worthing. The affection of this 
bird having been observed by the waggoner, he took care in un¬ 
loading, not to disturb the robins’ nest; and my readers will, I 
am sure, be glad to hear, that the robin and its young ones re¬ 
turned in safety to Walton Heath, being the place from whence 
they had set out. Whether it was the male or female robin 
which kept with the waggon, I have been unable to ascertain; 
but most probably the latter, as what will not a mother’s love, 
and a mother’s tenderness, induce her to perform ? The distance 
which the waggon went, in going and returning, could not have 
been less than one hundred miles. 
Fishing the other day in Hampton Court Park, I disturbed a 
moor-hen, who had just hatched ; and I watched her anxiety and 
manoeuvres to draw away her young. She would go to a short 
distance, utter a cry, return, and seem to lead the way for her 
young to follow. Having driven her away, that I might have a 
better opportunity of watching her brood, she never ceased calling 
them, and they made towards her, skulking amongst the rushes 
until they got to the other side of the pond. They had Only just 
left the shell, and probably never heard the cry of their mother 
before. 
If you go near the nest of a lapwing, one of the old birds 
will fly close to you, and try to draw you from their nest. I have 
seen my dog almost struck by one of the birds as she flew past 
him : they seem quite to forget their own danger in their endea¬ 
vours to preserve their offspring. It is said, that when a hind 
hears the hounds she will allow herself to be hunted, in order to 
lead them off from her fawns. Every one knows how bold a hen 
is in defence of her chickens. The following instance of affection 
in a bitch for her young was communicated to me by a friend of 
mine, an officer in the 15th hussars. He had a favourite bull-bitch 
who had puppies, and thinking, as they grew older, that they 
were making her thin and weak, he took them from her, and 
shut them up in a sort of coop, in a yard, to which he thought 
she could not have access. She was seen, however, getting 
over the wall of the yard; and, finding that her puppies could 
not get at her to suck her, she emptied the contents of her stomach 
into the place where her young were confined, and continued to 
do this two or three times a-day for some time. She had no 
difficulty in procuring as much food as she wanted, and conveyed 
it to her puppies in the manner mentioned. 
Jesse's Gleanings in Natural History, vol. i, p. 99. 
