Natural History 411 



The helping instinct is characteristic in birds as in other 

 animals ; it is often touchingly human-like. We see it most often 

 in parental care and in the feeding of each other by the sexes, but 

 it is shown frequently in other ways. Mr. W. H. Hudson, speak- 







ing of the Military Starling of the pampas a bird of social dis- 

 position tells this story: "One day I was sitting on my horse 

 watching a flock feeding and travelling in their leisurely manner, 

 when I noticed a little distance behind the others a bird sitting 

 motionless on the ground and two others keeping close to it, one 

 on each side. These two had finished examining the ground and 

 prodding at the roots of the grass at the spot, and were now 

 anxious to go forward and rejoin the company, but were held back 

 by the other one. On my going to them they all flew up and on, 

 and I then saw that the one that had hung back had a broken leg. 

 Perhaps it had not been long broken, and he had not yet accom- 

 modated himself to the changed conditions in which he had to get 

 about on the ground and find his food. I followed and found that, 

 again and again, after the entire scarlet-breasted army had moved 

 on, the lame bird remained behind, his two impatient but faithful 

 companions still keeping with him. They would not fly until he 

 flew, and when on the wing still kept their places at his side, and 

 on overtaking the flock all three would drop down together." As 

 Mr. Hudson says, it is possible to mistake for friendship an action 

 which, at all events in its origin, is of a different nature. 



Instances of such altruistic behaviour, to be attributed to the 

 hetying instinct in animals of social habits, are common. Mr. 

 Frank Finn relates that the upper bill of a Huia, an insectivorous 

 bird of New Zealand, by some accident or natural deformity had 

 grown into the shape of a corkscrew, and it was not apparent how 

 it could get enough food to support life naturally. It seems it 

 had been fed for some time by a devoted mate. 

 The Social Habit 



The development of a social habit at the breeding season is 

 a well-marked characteristic of many kinds of birds, and it is by 



