THE FAERY YEAR 



the individual ? It has been often said that it does, 

 and some people even believe that solitary species 

 must in the end be wiped out. Society, they argue, 

 means higher development and preservation. The 

 case of birds particularly is cited. By gathering into 

 companies in winter, birds are better able to find 

 food, to guard themselves against foes, to be warm 

 on bitter nights. When one of the titmice of a 

 roving band lights on a place abounding in food, it 

 promptly, by its notes, tells its companions, and they 

 can hasten to the feast. It is quite likely that there 

 are words in the titmouse vocabulary which have 

 special significance to members of a flock searching 

 for food from tree to tree. In the chatter kept up 

 throughout the day by a flock, there are certainly 

 call notes and warning notes. Why should there 

 not be food notes ? Many a meaning may be in a 

 titmouse sound. 



As to warmth on bitter nights, some birds, I am 

 satisfied, cluster together thickly for this purpose. 

 But safety is another thing. To watchful and wary 

 birds, such as rooks and pigeons, does flocking bring 

 additional safety ? Is the bird in a flock safer than 

 the bird by itself or with one or two companions? 

 It is rather an open question. In a flock of, say, 

 three hundred shy rooks feeding in a field there are 

 three hundred sentinels. The idea that rooks set 

 sentinels is quite fanciful I have never seen the 

 least sign of such a habit in rooks or any other bird 

 every bird in a flock is more or less a sentinel, 

 though he has never been appointed to the post. 

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