88 Habit and Instinct. 



they took no notice of it. Presently, however, one of the 

 birds pecked at its eye, and then again and again at 

 the tongue as it played in and out of the blind worm's 

 mouth. This observation naturally leads one to surmise 

 that the constant tongue-play in snakes may act as a 

 lure for young and inexperienced birds ; and that some 

 cases of so-called fascination may be simply the flutter- 

 ing of birds round this tempting object. I distinctly 

 remember, when a boy, seeing a grass-snake with head 

 elevated and quite motionless, and round it three or four 

 young birds fluttering nearer and nearer. It looked 

 like fascination ; but it may well have been that each 

 hoped to be the first to catch that tempting but elusive 

 worm ! Presently they would, no doubt, be invited to 

 step inside. 



Mr. F. Howard Collins tells me that when cruising in 

 the Mediterranean off the south-east coast of Spain, and 

 out of sight of land, during half a gale, a dove took refuge 

 on his yacht, evidently blown off the shore by the wind. 

 The bird displayed at no time any fear or alarm whatever 

 at the men on board, who took it into the forecastle, where 

 from the first it seemed quite at home, and remained there 

 quite contentedly, hopping about, picking up food, and 

 roosting, and all this although more than a dozen men 

 were constantly passing to and fro. No cage or restriction 

 was used. It remained on board some six months, until 

 the cruise was ended, and then was taken ashore by one 

 of the men, with whom it lived at least a year or more. 

 Whether the tameness arose from that common cause, 

 hunger and starvation, or from the fact that the bird 

 had never previously seen a man, must remain un- 

 known. 



All these observations seem to lend support to Mr. 

 Hudson's contention that fear in birds is, in reference ta 





