THE RISE OF CONSCIOUSNESS 



or flocks there are not special types or individuals 

 born with the instinct to act as sentinels, nor are 

 there any born with the authority to set the others 

 to their duty. And observation shows that senti- 

 nels are never posted, as has been supposed. 



What happens is this: Suppose that there is a 

 party of rooks plundering a sown field, you will 

 almost certainly see one or two rooks perched in 

 neighboring trees, and, as you approach, these 

 will utter a warning " caw," and all the marauders 

 will be off. Superficially viewing the incident, you 

 may, if you like, go into raptures over the intel- 

 ligence of the rooks, who always post sentinels 

 to give them warning of danger. 



But, if you really observe what occurs, you will 

 see that there is no posting of sentinels. The sen- 

 tinels are entirely self-appointed and they think 

 only of their own interests. That by doing so they 

 safeguard the community is merely one of those 

 fortunate little coincidences of which nature al- 

 ways takes full advantage. 



Each rook, being a wary bird, is uneasy so long 

 as there is a risk of his being taken unawares by 

 an enemy. Some, no doubt, are more wary or more 

 nervous than others ; and when a flock descends to 

 plunder a cornfield one or more of these nervous 

 ones will prefer to alight in a neighboring tree 

 and take a prolonged scrutiny of the neighboring 

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