230 BOMBAY DUCKS 



brotherhood immediately fly off. The rest remain 

 eyeing you suspiciously, and wondering what they 

 shall do. Presently the fright of those which have 

 already betaken themselves to cover communicates 

 itself to some of the birds which have maintained their 

 ground. Such fly to shelter. You approach nearer. 

 This is the signal for others to take to their wings, and 

 perhaps all have left, except one sturdy fellow, who 

 looks at you in such a way that he seems to say : " I'll 

 be blowed if I move until I am obliged to." 



Here, then, we have in this little company of six or 

 seven a number of types of character, ranging from 

 excessive timidity to great temerity. The " seven sisters " 

 do not form an isolated case. Almost every company 

 of birds exhibits a similar phenomenon. We know so 

 little of Nature's wild creatures that our books con- 

 tain no accounts of these distinctions in character. 

 Naturalists are content to describe the typical member 

 of each species ; they omit to mention the thousand 

 and one variations from it. 



This, doubtless, accounts for the origin of the idea 

 that all animals of a species are cast in the same mould. 

 To take an example, the Indian crow is described as 

 a bold, bad bird, which leads a depraved life of aimless 

 vagabondage. This is doubtless a true description of 

 the typical crow. But there are degrees of wickedness, 

 even among crows. It is possible that some of the 

 corvi lead useful and admirable lives. For aught I 

 know, there may be crow philanthropists, crows which 

 spend their life slumming, holding tea-parties, delivering 

 lectures, and doing other good works. 



