Ornithological and Other Oddities 



coot is, indeed, an excellent character, being 

 courageous enough when it comes to resisting 

 aggression, but not addicted to aggressive 

 manoeuvres for his own part. 



This brings us to the root of the whole matter 

 of congregations of birds. A bird must possess 

 some instinct for society to be sociable at all, and 

 this is probably always present in most species 

 in a greater or less degree, being temporarily 

 overpowered in the breeding season by sexual 

 jealousy and territorial pride. Thus we find 

 that the inveterately unsociable species, like the 

 robin and blackbird, are generally non-migratory 

 and particularly localised in their individual 

 haunts. They are successful in the battle of 

 life, and can afford to be churlish even over 

 their winter quarters. But with less-favoured 

 species, when the nesting is over and they must 

 roam far afield for food, there is nothing but the 

 said food to quarrel over, and the small bicker- 

 ings over this are soon forgotten. I have seen 

 the common Indian babblers in captivity fighting 

 apparently to the death for a live cockroach and 

 forgetting their animosity a moment after, and no 

 doubt other birds are equally ready to forgive and 

 forget. Moreover, birds do not breed till they are 

 in high condition owing to plenty of food, when, 

 of course, they are apt to be a little "above 



themselves," and tyrannical and exclusive in 



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