2o8 BIRD WATCHING 



fear was uncalled for, and that there was no rational 

 ground for alarm. An hour or two later three out 

 of the four birds — for two have got gradually to 

 the other side of the stack — see enough of me in 

 the straw to make them suspicious, and go off at 

 half pace. The fourth bird notes their retreat, 

 looks all about, can see nothing to account for it, 

 and instead of following them, as might have been 

 expected, goes on feeding. This, though it may 

 seem to show a defect in the reasoning power (the 

 power itself it certainly does show), at least argues 

 strength of character and independence of judgment. 

 A certain line of conduct is suggested by the action 

 of a bird's three companions, but this suggestion — 

 this powerful stimulus, one would think — is resisted 

 by the one bird, put to the test of its own powers 

 of observation, and the line of conduct dictated by 

 it, rejected. This self-reliant quality and power of not 

 being swayed by others, I have constantly observed 

 in birds. 



As will have been gathered, these six pheasants 

 that came and fed together at the stack were all 

 males, and this has been my usual experience. Under 

 such circumstances I have always found them agree 

 together perfectly well, but there is generally some 

 fighting to be seen amongst the small birds, though, 

 perhaps, not much, if one takes their numbers into 

 consideration. Chaffinches are the most pugnacious, 

 though, here again, a similar allowance must be made, 

 for they largely predominate, even over greenfinches, 

 whilst, compared to these two, the others — excepting 

 sometimes bramblings — are only scantily represented. 

 Chaffinches fight by springing up from the ground 



