THE RINGED-PLOVERS 351 



feigning injury than any other Wader. The frequency with which its 

 performances have been observed and recorded is doubtless due to 

 the fact that it is a common and well-known species. 1 Its demonstra- 

 tions are plainly for the purpose of diverting attention from the eggs 

 or young, and have, at least, the appearance of being the result of 

 thought and reason. Mr. O. V. Aplin, after describing in vivid terms 

 such a demonstration by some ringed-plovers, says : " Surely there is 

 reasoning power and thinking intelligence here." If the birds are 

 really feigning a broken wing, then I see no other explanation but to 

 attribute to them reasoning power of a high order. But this would 

 necessitate experience of broken wings and a histrionic ability on the 

 part of the birds that it would be nothing short of absurd to attribute 

 to them. I do not deny a consciousness of the efficacy of the act, but 

 the "broken wing" exists only in the imagination quite excusably of 

 those who have described it as such. I have witnessed various forms 

 of the habit displayed by different species of ground-nesting birds, 

 and a critical examination has always failed to detect anything that 

 could really be regarded as an actual simulation of a broken wing. 

 The birds appear very helpless, tails are spread, and wings trailed 

 along and flapped, but not as when broken. I can admit a conscious- 

 ness of deceiving, a pretence of helplessness, but not a knowledge of 

 the movements of a broken wing and the art of imitating it. 



I prefer to regard all demonstrations of this kind as instinctive, 

 and as with such instincts there generally exist some imperfect cases, 

 provided by certain species, in which the instinct is in process of 

 development it is to such species we should turn to learn something 

 of its origin. What I believe to be the true explanation was first 

 made by Mr. Edmund Selous, and was suggested to him by the 

 behaviour of a snipe a species in which the habit is but very slightly 

 developed, and therefore a suitable one for investigation. Mr. Selous 

 put a snipe off its nest suddenly ; it flew up, and then dropped into 

 the grass near the nest, " spun round over it, now here, now there, its 



1 Zoologist, 1908, p. 369; Patten, Aquatic Birds, p. 217; Zoologist, 1910, p. 100, etc. 



