The Birds 



to atrophy these inactive members and this accounts for the 

 birds that have lost the power of flight. 



We have seen that the first dim evidences of parental 

 care began to manifest themselves in the fishes. These 

 increased with the amphibians and reptiles; but the true 

 parental instinct came into being when the heart became 

 four-chambered and the blood turned warm. This instinct 

 of caring for, feeding and protecting the helpless offspring 

 was distilled in the first warm blood. It was a part of Evolu- 

 tion's plan. It did not descend like a falling meteor at any 

 particular time or place but instead it came by ages of growth 

 in blended stages. It was the forerunner of the end toward 

 which all life is directed — that of giving life for the life of 

 others. 



Thus far all the struggles in life have been physical but 

 now Nature brings forth a manifestation of animal affec- 

 tion that later on in the highest order of creation develops 

 into the cosmic force which we call love. It started in the 

 lower order of birds and mammals and is now revealed in 

 its highest form in man. The mother love in the bird fam- 

 ily has developed along the same lines as that of the mam- 

 mals until they will give, if need be, their lives in order that 

 their offspring may survive. 



[221] 



