The Wilson Bulletin — No. 48 73 



CURIOSITY, FEAR, ETC. 



When curiosity and suspicion were aroused the bird's 

 neck was upstretched very slim and the feathers of the body, 

 too, were pressed close. The feet were drawn up under the 

 body at the sides ready for a leap. The suspicious object was 

 regarded intently with one eye at a time. When frightened 

 and disturbed the bird either ran and tumbled to the darkest 

 corner, or defended himself by delivering powerful; blows with 

 the nearly closed bill. During the first few days the bird bit 

 me go often and so viciously that my hands were covered with 

 scratches; but thereafter learned that it was useless'to try to 

 intimidate me thus. When the coot was let loose'in the 

 grebe's room a fight soon took place in which the gray fellow 

 silently bit and scratched with bill and nail, while the grebe 

 sat raining blows with his spear like bill. Their wings were 

 raised threatingly but, I think, not used. Fearing that one 

 might hack the other "into pieces small" I parted them and 

 no more trouble followed during their week of companionship. 

 COLOR, SENSE, MEMORY, ETC. 



During the first few days of the grebe's stay with us we fed 

 him gold-fish which were taken from a dish by the use of a small 

 net made of white mosquito bar. Soon, however, when the 

 bird saw me pick up the net, he hurried over expecting, ap- 

 parently, to see a gleaming fish drop out. And the moment I 

 even drew a white handkerchief from my pocket he came tod- 

 dling up with outstreched neck, eagerly watching every 

 movement. Thus I could amuse my friends by making our 

 pet come to calls or signals which, by themselves, would have 

 no effect whatever. 



A gray overcoat or a long yellowish gray smock had no 

 terrors for the grebe, but let me enter the room with a broad 

 brimmed gray hat or a scarlet or black skull cap on my head 

 and he would make for the darkest corner, A dark red gown 

 worn by my sister had a similar effect, though most dresses 

 did not frighten him. 



He would rest on the hand or lie contentedly on my knee 

 as long as allowed to do so, or would climb onto my foot and 

 let me raise him up on it. But all this was changed the mo- 

 ment that the bird was liberated. He swam at once to the 

 farther side of the pond, and do what I would he would not 



