114 TALKS ABOUT BIRDS 



to their fate. This is one reason why people 

 so often use hens for rearing young pheasants ; 

 but then it is best to keep the little pheasants 

 close to the coop, by means of a wire run, 

 for a few days, till they have learnt the meaning 

 of the old hen's call, for they do not understand 

 her clucking at first. This shows that they 

 have to learn a strange language much as we do. 

 Many people have been amused at the trouble 

 that an old hen has with a brood of ducklings 

 when she has had duck's eggs given her to 

 hatch ; it is not only that they will go into the 

 water, but they are very disobedient little 

 things, and do not pay much attention to her 

 in any case. Ducklings are very much in- 

 clined to straggle about all over the place, 

 and so very often their own mothers cannot 

 keep them together, and thus they lose many 

 of a brood by various enemies ; the Muscovy 

 duck does best with hers, for she is not only 

 a very brave and careful mother, but her 

 ducklings are more reasonable, and keep closer 

 together and nearer her, when they are small. 



As to birds which are brought up in nests, 

 they have to begin most of their education 

 when they come out into the world ; and it 



