Fear in Birds. 85 



day, and about a week later they were scarcely to 

 be distinguished in behaviour from the adults. It 

 is plain that, with these little birds, fear of man is 

 an associate feeling, and that, unless it had been 

 taught them, his presence would trouble them as 

 little as does that of horse, sheep, or cow. But 

 how about the larger species, used as food, and 

 which have had a longer and sadder experience of 

 man's destructive power ? 



The rhea, or South American ostrich, philosophers 

 tell us, is a very ancient bird on the earth ; and 

 from its great size and inability to escape by flight, 

 and its excellence as food, especially to savages, 

 who prefer fat rank-flavoured flesh, it must have 

 been systematically persecuted by man as long as, 

 or longer than, any bird now existing on the globe. 

 If fear of man ever becomes hereditary in birds, 

 we ought certainly to find some trace of such an 

 instinct in this species. I have been unable to 

 detect any, though I have observed scores of young 

 rheas in captivity, taken before the parent bird had 

 taught them what to fear. I also once kept a brood 

 myself, captured just after they had hatched out. 

 With regard to food they were almost, or perhaps 

 quite, independent, spending most of the time 

 catching flies, grasshoppers, and other insects with 

 surprising dexterity ; but of the dangers encom- 

 passing the young rhea they knew absolutely 

 nothing. They would follow me about as if they 

 took me for their parent ; and, whenever I imitated 

 the loud snorting or rasping warning-call emitted 

 by the old bird in moments of danger, they would 

 rush to me in the greatest terror, though no animal 



