80 BIRD NOTES 



pride in its ability ; it seemed aware that the other 

 rook was looking on, as indeed it did, with great 

 interest, but without taking any part in the labour. 

 ' That must be the lady,' thought I, remembering 

 how, when two goldfinches built a nest close to 

 my window and I watched the proceedings, one 

 bird only fetched the materials, while the other 

 sat on the rail or worked at the nest. But no ; 

 this was a different case. When the worker had 

 as many twigs as it could carry, it flew away ; but 

 the looker-on, instead of following, as I expected, 

 flew down after a few moments of reflection to the 

 place where the first had worked, and began to 

 try to do the same. It did not succeed in getting 

 off a single twig, though it tried hard, and at last 

 it flew away to take another lesson perhaps. I 

 have seen birds teach their young to feed on my 

 window-sill, and I have heard a singing lesson 

 given by an old robin to a young one more than 

 once. Of this I feel sure ; for after every stave 

 the smaller voice tried hard to repeat it, and the 

 old one listened so intently that it was not easy to 

 disturb it ; so I do not doubt that ' twigging ' 

 also is taught to birds. They inherit a great deal, 

 but not everything ; and perhaps, as with ourselves, 

 what they inherit has to be cultivated. 



