130 WILD I.II-I- IN CHINA. 



Witness my story, or rather the story of Thomas Iidward. 

 the Scotch naturalist. I-ldward tells in his simple inimitable 

 st\'le of watching a party of Pickietars (Terns, 8. /liriiiufo), 

 hopins* some might come within reach and be added to his 

 collection. He dwells on the beauty of the scene, the indefati- 

 gable evolutions of the terns in their search for food, now 

 •darting down on their finn\' prey, now soaring aloft again, 

 hovering on kestrel wing when in doubt, and then dropping 

 like a plummet, to emerge from the surface with a catch. 

 Just after such a dip, the chance came for a shot, and the 

 bird, winged, fell into the water. His cries brought his 

 ■companions up in hot haste. The wounded one was slowly 

 drifting ashore where Edwai'd hoped to get it. He must 

 tell the rest in his own words : "Whilst matters were in this 

 position. I beheld to my utter astonishment and surprise, two 

 •of the unwounded terns take hold of their disabled comrade, 

 •one at each wing, lift him out of the water, and bear him out 

 seawards. They were followed by two other birds. After 

 being carried about six or seven yards, he was genth' let 

 down again, when he was taken up by the two who had 

 hitherto been inactive. In this way they continued to carry 

 him alternately, until the\' had conveyed him to a rock' at a 

 considerable distance, upon which the\- landed him in safety. 

 Having recovered my self-possession. I made toward the 

 rock', wishing to obtain the prize which had been so uncere- 

 moniously snatched from my grasp. I was observed, however, 

 by the terns: and instead of four, 1 had in a short time 

 a whole swarm about me. On mj- near approach to the 

 rock, I once more beheld two of them take hold of the 

 wounded bird as they had done already, and bear him out tc 

 sea in triumph, far beyond my reach. This, had I been sc 

 inclined, I could no doubt have prevented. Under the 

 circumstances, however, my feelings would not permit me, 

 and I willingly allowed them to perform without molestation 

 an act of m-ercy, and to exhibit an instance of affection, 

 which man himself need not be ashamed to imitate: I was 

 indeed rejoiced at the disappointment which they had 

 occasioned, for they had thereby rendered me witness of c 

 scene which I could scarcely ha\-e believed, and which no 

 length of time will efface from my recollection." There 

 speaks a true sportsman and naturalist. 



Is there anybody who can read this story to find in it 

 nothing but instinct?-* If so, one can but be sorry for him. 

 For what have we here but one of the very things on which, 

 the Englishman above all others loves to pride himself — 

 power t(^ rise to the occasion, whatever the occasion maj^ 

 be, power to adapt means to ends, to decide promptly what 

 ought to be done and then to do it, though it has never been 



