CHAPTER VIII 



BIRDS AT SCHOOL 



MANY people have an idea that birds and 

 other creatures are able to get on in the world 

 entirely by "instinct"; that is to say, that 

 they are born with a natural knowledge of 

 what to do and where to live, what to eat and 

 what enemies to avoid. This is true to some 

 extent, but not altogether, and, as a matter 

 of fact, young birds have to learn many things 

 by experience or teaching, just as we have, 

 and this is the " schooling " that I spoke 

 about in the last chapter. 



There is not much, of course, that little 

 helpless birds in a nest can learn ; only to lie 

 quiet when their parents give the alarm-call. 

 They are certainly not taught manners, as 

 far as I have seen, for they do not wait their 

 turn to be fed, but the greediest keeps on 

 taking all the food it can get till it has had 

 no 



