98 ON THE GROUPING OF ANIMALS 



Animals have passions like man ; fewer, indeed, as to number, but 

 of much greater energy. In my work, entitled " Le Cabinet d'Histoire 

 Naturelle," I have given a sketch of the effect which fear or anger 

 imparts to the attitude of birds, and I shall quote from it, as examples, 

 three well-known species the magpie, the blackbird, and the wren. 

 The few words I shall say of them will be sufficient to direct the cabi- 

 net naturalist in making his observations. 



The magpie, when in a state of repose, has the feathers on the upper 

 part of the body lying almost flat on the skin, and those of the belly 

 slightly bristled, as if hanging down, the neck contracted, while the 

 tail is parallel to the body, sometimes slightly bent downwards, and the 

 wings are placed close to the sides. In this attitude it always perches. 



The blackbird, when in repose and perched, has the feathers slightly 

 ruffled, the neck entirely buried in the breast, the tail slightly raised, 

 and the wings somewhat drooping. The wren has the feathers flat, the 

 tail parallel. It constantly perches. 



The body of the magpie, when in action, is placed horizontally^ 

 the neck is lengthened, the head turned aside, the feathers quite flat, 

 and the tail much raised ; the feet are placed under the middle of the 

 body, the wings are drooping, in which circumstances it may be 

 perched or not. 



In action, also, the feathers of the blackbird are ruffled, the neck 

 somewhat lengthened, the head straight and also a little raised, the 

 beak directed forward, the tail much raised, the feet bent as if un- 

 able to support the weight of the body, and the wings are very much 

 depressed. It does not always perch in such circumstances. 



The feathers of the wren, when in action, are flat, the tail raised 

 vertically, the neck moderately stretched, the head depressed, that is 

 to say, the back is directed downward ; while the wings are drooping, 

 the feet extended, and the body placed parallel to the horizon. 



When birds experience the sentiment of fear, their neck is much 

 lengthened, their feathers extremely flat, the beak, the body, and the 

 tail in the same line, and rather advanced ; the upper part of the wings 

 much raised from the body, and the extremities approaching very 

 near to the tail. If from fear they pass to anger, the whole body in- 

 clines still more forward ; the beak opens, the pupils of the eyes 

 incline towards each other, which gives the animal the appearance of 

 squinting. The feathers of the neck are erect, those under the body 

 exactly corresponding; the tail is raised and arched, the legs bent, 

 and the wings averted from the body, or half opened by raising them 



