L E T T E R XIV.
T » TH E S AM E .
D E A R S I R , Se l bo r n b , March 16, 1773.
T he more I refled on the «Topjn of animals, the more I am afto-
niflted at it’s effeds. Nor is the violence of this affedion more
wonderful than the fhortnefs of it’s duration. Thus every hen is
in her turn the virago of the yard, in proportion to the helpleflhefs
of her brood j and will fly in the face of a dog or a fow in defence
of thofe chickens, which in a few weeks Ihe will drive before her
with relentlefs cruelty.
This affedion fublimes the paflions, quickens the invention, and
fharpens the fagacity of the brute creation. Thus an hen, juft become
a mother, is no longer that placid bird flie ufed to be, but
with feathers ftanding an end, wings hovering, and clocking note,
ihe runs about like one poflefied. Dams will throw themfelves in,
the way of the greateft danger in order to avert it from their progeny.
Thus a partridge will tumble along before a Iportfman in
order to draw away the dogs from her helplefs covey. In the time
of nidification the moft feeble birds will aflault the moll rapacious-
A ll the hirundines of a village are up in arms at the fight of an hawk,
whom they will perfecute till he leaves that diftrid- A very exad
obferver has often remarked that a pair of ravens netting in the rock
of Gibraltar would fuffer no vulture or eagle to reft near their ftation,
but would drive them from the hill with an amazing fury: even the
blue-
M l|jj Y;
blue thrulh at the feafon of breeding would dart out from the clefts
of the rocks to chafe away the keftril, or the fparrow-hawk. I f you
ftand near the nett of a bird that has young, (he will not be induced
to betray them by an inadvertent fondnefs, but will wait about at a
diftance with meat in her mouth for an hour together. *
Should I farther corroborate what I have advanced above by
fome anecdotes which I probably may have mentioned before in
converfation, yet you will, I truft, pardon the repetition for the
fake of the illuftration.
The flycatcher of the Zoology (the Jlopgrola of Ray), builds
every year in the vines that grow on the walls of my houfe. A
pair of thefe little birds had one year inadvertently placed their nett
on a naked bough, perhaps in a fhady time, not being aware of
the inconvenience that followed. But an hot funny feafon coming
on before the brood was half fledged, the reflection of the wall
became infupportable, and mutt inevitably have deftroyed the tender
young, had not affedtion fuggefted an expedient, and prompted the
parent-birds to hover over the nett all the hotter hours, while with
wings expanded, and mouths gaping for breath, they fqreened off
the heat from their fuffering offspring.
A farther inftance I once faw of notable fagacity in a willow-wren,
which had built in a bank in my fields. This bird a friend and
rnyfelf had obferved as Ihe fat in her nett; but were particularly.
careful not to difturb her, though we faw (he eyed us with fome
degree of jealoufy. Some days after as we paffed that way we were
defirous of remarking how this brood went on ; but no nett could
be found, till I happened to take up a large bundle of long gfeen
mofs, as it were, careleffly thrown over the nett in order to dodge
the, eye of any impertinent intruder.
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