BABBLER BROTHERHOODS 223 



a third babbler came up and presented a caterpillar 

 to the baby brown sister. Now, I submit that this 

 can only mean that babblers are not monogamous, 

 or that they nest in common sometimes, or, so close 

 are the ties that bind the members of the little company 

 that each feeds both his own offspring and those of his 

 brethren. Personally, I am inclined to think that 

 babblers are monogamous. That the same nest is some- 

 times used by more than one pair seems to be estab- 

 lished by the fact that there are cases on record of 

 nests containing as many as eight eggs, or young ones. 

 This, however, is not a usual occurrence, and it is 

 my belief that the members of the club are so greatly 

 attached to one another that they look upon each 

 infant as common property. Hume quotes Mr. A. 

 Anderson as sa^dng : ** During the months of Sep- 

 tember and October I have observed several babblers 

 in the act of feeding one young Hierococcyx varius (the 

 brain-fever bird or hawk-cuckoo, which, as we have 

 seen, is parasitic on babblers) following the bird from 

 tree to tree, and being most assiduous in their atten- 

 tions to the young interloper." This observation, I 

 submit, supports the view that each member of the 

 flock takes a personal interest in the offspring of other 

 members, even though it be spurious ! 



Thus we may take it that these gatherings are not 

 family parties, but rather of the nature of clubs. 

 The question, then, arises : What determines the 

 membership of these clubs ? At present our knowledge 

 of the ways of these common birds is not sufficient to 

 enable us to frame a satisfactory reply. It is even 



