This done, the mother sang over the whole series of notes a second time with great care, and a second of the young ones tried to follow her. The wren followed the same course with this one as with the first; and so on with the third and all the rest. It sometimes happened that the young bird would lose the tune three or four or more times in the same attempt, and the mother would always begin where they stopped and sing the rest of the song; and when each little bird had sung the whole song through, she repeated the whole strain. Sometimes two of the young birds began together. The mother did just the same as when one sang alone. This practise was repeated day after day, and several times a day.
A mastiff dog, who owed more to the kindness of a neighbor than to his master, was once locked by mistake in the well-stored pantry of his benefactor for a whole day, where there were, within his reach, milk, butter, bread and meat, in abundance. On the return of the servant to the pantry, seeing the dog come out, and knowing the time it had been shut in there, she trembled for fear of the waste which she was sure her carelessness must have brought about; but on close examination, it was found that the honest creature had not tasted of anything, although, on coming out, he fell on a bone that was given him, with all the greediness of hunger.
The Alpine marmots are said to work together in the collection of materials for the building of their homes. Some of them, we are told, cut the herbage, others collect it into heaps; a third set serve as wagons to carry it to their holes; while still others perform all the work of draught horses. The manner of the latter part of the curious process is this. The animal that is to be the wagon, lies down on its back, and stretching out its four legs as wide as it can, allows itself to be loaded with hay; and those that are to be the horses, drag it, thus loaded, by the tail, taking care not to upset the creature. The task of thus serving as a wagon being, evidently, the least desirable part of the business, is taken by every one of the party in turn.
During the time that Prince Maurice was ruling in Brazil, he heard of an old parrot that was much celebrated for answering like a human being, many of the common questions put to it. It was at a great distance; but so much had been said about it that the prince's curiosity was roused, and he directed it to be sent for.