246 JUNGLE FOLK 



At this, Mr. Baynes was about to jump into the water 

 in order to rescue him ; however, " the next moment 

 he made a mighty effort, arose dripping wet, and flew 

 to his old roost on the chimney, where he flapped his 

 wings and spread them out to dry in the sun." Far 

 from being deterred by this experience, he repeated the 

 operation, and ere long became an expert fisher. 



According to the school to which Mr. Long belongs, 

 young birds learn their song from their parents, just 

 as young children learn how to talk. In the words of 

 Barrington, " Notes in birds are no more innate than 

 language is in man, but depend entirely upon the 

 master under which they are bred, as far as their 

 organs will enable them to imitate the sounds which 

 they have frequent opportunities of hearing." 



Similarly Michelet writes : " Nothing is more 

 complex than the education of certain singing birds. 

 The perseverance of the father, the docility of the 

 young, are worthy of all admiration." There can be 

 no doubt that young birds are very imitative. The 

 young of the koel — an Indian parasitic cuckoo — make 

 ludicrous attempts to caw in imitation of the notes 

 of their corvine foster-parents ; but later, when the 

 spring comes, they pour forth the very different notes 

 of their species. In the same way the young of the 

 common cuckoo, no matter by what species they are 

 reared, all cry " cuckoo " when they come of age. 

 Ducklings, pheasants, and partridges, hatched undei 

 the domestic hen, and fowls reared by turkeys, have 

 the calls peculiar to their species. It may, of course, 

 be urged that these learn their cries from others of their 



