The Descent of Man

the authority of the Hon. and Rev. O.W. Forester.
"The gamekeeper here found a hawk's nest
this year, with five young ones on it. He took
four and killed them, but left one with its wings
clipped as a decoy to destroy the old ones by.
They were both shot next day, in the act of feeding
the young one, and the keeper thought it
was done with. The next day he came again
and found two other charitable hawks, who
had come with an adopted feeling to succour
the orphan. These two he killed, and then left
the nest. On returning afterwards he found two
more charitable individuals on the same errand
of mercy. One of these he killed; the other he
also shot, but could not find. No more came on
the like fruitless errand.") Nevertheless, it is a
strange fact that within the same district, during
the height of the breeding-season, there
should be so many males and females always
ready to repair the loss of a mated bird. Why
do not such spare birds immediately pair together?
Have we not some reason to suspect,