STOCK-DOVES, WOOD-PIGEONS, SNIPE 65 



As the eggs of a bird are stationary, and do not run 

 away or seek shelter whilst the parent bird is thus 

 behaving in their neighbourhood, it would, on the 

 whole, be better for it to sit close or to fly away in 

 an ordinary and non-betraying manner. Allowing this, 

 then, as the eggs of a bird would be less exposed to 

 danger the less often the sitting bird went off them 

 in this way, might not natural selection keep throwing 

 the impulse to do so farther and farther backwards 

 till after the incubatory process was completed ? Then 

 the tendency would be encouraged at least in the case 

 of birds whose young can early get about for, as a 

 rule, such antics would shield them better than sitting 

 still. The young would generally be in several places 

 giving as many chances of discovery and, on 

 account of the suddenness of the surprise, would often 

 be running or otherwise exposing themselves. Take, 

 for instance, the case of the wild-duck, where I have 

 always found the brood a most conspicuous object at 

 first, and taking some time, even on reedy rivers, to 

 get into concealment. 



And I can see no reason why an aiding intelligence 

 in the performance of such movements should not be 

 selected part passu with the movements themselves, 

 though of a nervous and, originally, purely automatic 

 character. Natural selection would, in this way, de- 

 velop a special intelligence in the performance of 

 some special actions, out of proportion to the general 

 intelligence of the creature performing them, though, 

 no doubt, this also would tend to be thereby enlarged. 

 And this is what, in fact, we often do see or seem to see. 



I may add that when, a few days afterwards, I 

 again approached this same nest the bird went off it 

 E 



