88 The Naturalist in La Plata. 



interesting point will probably never be determined, 

 as, most unhappily, the Australians are just now 

 zealously engaged in exterminating their most 

 wonderful bird for the sake of its miserable flesh ; 

 and with less excuse than the Maories could plead 

 with -regard to the moa, since they cannot deny 

 that they have mutton and rabbit enough to satisfy 

 hunger. 



Whether birds fear or have instinctive knowledge 

 of any of their enemies is a much larger question. 

 Species that run freely on the ground from the time 

 of quitting the shell know their proper food, and 

 avoid whatever is injurious. Have all young birds 

 a similarly discriminating instinct with regard to 

 their enemies ? Darwin says," Fear of any particular 

 enemy is certainly an instinctive quality, as may be 

 seen in nestling birds." Here, even man seems to 

 be included among the enemies feared instinctively ; 

 and in another passage he says, " Young chickens 

 have lost, wholly from habit, that fear of the dog 

 and cat which, no doubt, was originally instinctive 

 in them." My own observations point to a con- 

 trary conclusion ; and I may say that I have had 

 unrivalled opportunities for studying the habits of 

 young birds. 



Animals of all classes, old and young, shrink with 

 instinctive fear from any strange object approaching 

 them. A piece of newspaper carried accidentally 

 by the wind is as great an object of terror to an 

 inexperienced young bird as a buzzard sweeping 

 down with death in its talons. Among birds not 

 yet able to fly there are, however, some curious 

 exceptions; thus the young of most owls and 



