INSTINCT 



flocks in the neighborhood. They stay 

 through the winter because they have no 

 knowledge of the South and no guide to lead 

 the way. Ducks hatched under hens from 

 wild eggs will not go South. I once lived 

 near a farmer that hatched out six black 

 ducks. The farmer did not feed them, and 

 they lived through the summer on a trout 

 brook. In winter they huddled into a fence 

 corner under some shrubbery. They had no 

 instinct to send them South, although their 

 flight feathers were perfect; but they pos- 

 sessed intelligence enough to seek the cattle 

 tie-up for warmth whenever they found the 

 door open. 



It is assumed that the bee, the pigeon, and 

 some variety of ducks, rise and circle in the 

 air to leave landmarks "out of sight," so 

 that this remarkable instinct may work more 

 freely. Would it not be well to apply natural 

 laws to these cases? Suppose we infer that 

 these animals rise and circle to find familiar 

 landmarks, just as a human being would act 

 if he had the power of flight and had lost 

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