SIDE LIGHTS ON BIRDS 



sharp " pink-pink" of the chaffinch, so character- 

 istic of each species, have always been produced 

 by the young birds respectively, although they 

 had never had an opportunity of hearing the 

 ancient slogans of their respective races. 



Again, we have brought up thrushes, black- 

 birds and larks from the nest, some of which be- 

 came excellent singers, using of course their 

 native notes, although they had never known 

 parental care. Still it must be admitted that 

 such birds often improve immensely as musicians 

 if they are taken into the open to hear a wild note. 

 This fact is well know^n to bird-fanciers, w^ho will 

 wander in the fields to discover a lark with ex- 

 ceptional powers of song : when they will bring 

 their own young larks to the spot in order that 

 they may take lessons from the master. 



Thus we take leave to think that Nature has 

 endow^ed her smaller children with an extra- 

 ordinary stock of ready-made ideas, and that 

 parental teaching plays a necessary, but com- 

 paratively a small part, in fitting the offspring 

 for the ordinary conditions of wild Ufe. 



The care of the mother-bird for her young 

 differs materially in different species. Most 

 birds show some anxiety when their little ones are 

 threatened, but in certain species parental 

 sohcitude rises to extraordinary heights, and is 

 displayed in many diverse ways. Skuas, terns, 

 mistle-thrushes, fieldfares and others will fiercely 

 attack the invader — man or dog — sometimes 

 actually striking. The partridge and snipe em- 

 ploy ingenious devices ; luring the trespasser 

 away by feigned lameness. 



When young birds are taken from the nest the 

 parents will frequently follow them for long 

 distances and feed them in a cage. We have a 

 record of a tawny owl which night by night brought 



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