5 MAY 1928, Page 14

THE PARENTAL. INSTINCT.

Two birds, one in the house, one in a neighbour's garden, are showing strange perversion of the parental instinct. One is a canary, which has for some while been sitting tight and faithfully on a completely empty nest, apparently to the great satisfaction of the cock bird. At any rate, he remains affectionately beside her and shows obvious distress if she evinces any tendency to give up her inane but hopeful incu- bation. The other bird is a thrush whose young were killed (by the cold or other accident) ; but the mother continues obstinately to brood the poor dead chicks. Is the blind mothering instinct too strong for her ? Or is she mad of grief ?