spective charges with all
the virulence of a Billingsgate mob; the owl, meanwhile, returning
every compliment with a broad, goggling stare. The war becomes louder
and louder, and the owl, at length, forced to betake himself to flight,
is followed by his whole train of persecutors, until driven beyond the
boundaries of their jurisdiction."

_Anecdotes._--A gentleman in South Carolina gives an account of a blue
jay, which was brought up in his family, that had all the tricks and
loquacity of a parrot; pilfered every thing he could carry off, and hid
them in holes and crevices; answered to his name with great sociability
when called on; could articulate a number of words pretty distinctly;
and when he heard an uncommon noise, or loud talking, seemed impatient
to contribute his share to the general festivity, by a display of all
the oratorical powers he was possessed of.

"Having caught a jay in the winter season," says Mr. Bartram, "I turned
him loose in the greenhouse, and fed him with corn, the heart of which
he was very fond of. The grain being ripe and hard, the bird at first
found a difficulty in breaking it, as it would start from his bill when
he struck it. After looking about, as if considering a moment, he
picked up his grain, carried and placed it close up in a corner on the
shelf, between the wall and a plant-box, where being confined on three
sides, he soon effected his purpose, and continued afterwards to make
use of the same practical expedient."

ORDER III.

SCANSORIAE,

CLIMBING BIRDS.

THE CUCKOO.

Dr. Jenner gives us the following anecdote: "I found one day the nest
of a hedge-sparrow, which contained a cuckoo's and three
hedge-sparrow's eggs. The next day, I found the bird had hatched, but
the nest now contained only one sparrow, and the cuckoo. What was my
astonishment to observe the young cuckoo, though so newly hatched, in
the act of turning out the young hedge-sparrow! The mode of
accomplishing this was very curious. The little animal, with the
assistance of its rump and wings, contrived to get the bird on its
back, and, making a lodgment for the burden, by elevating its elbows,
clambered with it to the side of the nest till it reached the top,
where resting for a moment, it threw off its load with a jerk, and
quite disengaged it from the nest. It remained in this situation a
short time, feeling about with the extremities of its wings, as if to
be convinced that the business was pro