Vol. XXVII Palmer, Instinctive Stillness in Birds. 2o 



INSTINCTIVE STILLNESS IN BIRDS. 



BY WILLIAM PALMER. 



" Nearly all hermits and holy men who live apart from the big cities 

 have the reputation of being able to work miracles with the wild things, 

 but all the miracle lies in keeping still, in never making a hasty movement, 

 and, for a long time, at least, in never looking directly at a visitor." x 



According to one's knowledge and experience the subject of 

 mimicry may be divided into a number of divisions but their limits 

 are rather uncertain. In my opinion the dominant psychical 

 feature in perhaps all mimicking birds is stillness in the presence 

 of known or probable danger; and it is also an aid with its near 

 relative, caution or slowness, in aggressive mimicry. The other 

 features of bird economy necessarily involved are always subordi- 

 nate to these, as will develop later. To give point to these facts 

 the following instances, a few of many, are offered as illustrations. 



While walking along a beach one summer a Spotted Sandpiper 

 (Actitis macularia) and a single young were noticed some distance 

 ahead. As I approached the place the old bird, with the startled 

 manner characteristic of its kind at such a time, kept well ahead, 

 but I could not find the other. Going back some distance I waited 

 and soon saw it again with its parent. I repeated my quest and 

 again failed to find the youngster. Going back once more and 

 again seeing it rejoin the old bird I slowly moved forward keeping 

 my eyes this time very intently on it and soon picked it up from the 

 sand, an unwilling captive. 



I once had considerable experience with the Eribylov Sandpiper 

 (Arquatella ptilocnemis) . The young could often be seen at a 

 distance, but when approached and squatting it was almost im- 

 possible to distinguish them from the tundra vegetation. Finding 

 one on one occasion I wished to photograph it as it lay. I had 

 dropped my basket and camera on first seeing the bird which was 

 not then under the care of its parents. Dropping my cap near the 

 bird I slowly retreated backwards, obtained the camera and slowly 

 returned to the spot, but the bird had moved. Failing to find it 



1 Kipling, in 'The Miracle of Purun Bhaget' (The Second Jungle Book). 



