

Some Habits and Instincts of Young Birds. 33 



natural protector (for it is probable that there is no such 

 instinctive knowledge), very strong connate shrinking on 

 the part of the chicks would lead them rather to avoid her 

 than to submit to her ministrations. Hence it comes that 

 the young birds accommodate themselves to a foster-parent 

 even so strange as a human being, if he take them in hand 

 early enough. There is also from the first an instinctive 

 tendency to nestle into any warm, soft place. When there 

 are several little birds in the incubator drawer, they cuddle 

 together and burrow under each other in a very comical 

 manner. And when one has older and younger birds, the 

 little ones get in under and between the legs of their 

 seniors in a way that appears to be somewhat embarrassing 

 to the latter. This was, for example, especially notable 

 with two recently hatched moorhens, which persistently 

 tried to cuddle down under the lanky legs of two older 

 birds of the same species. So, too, in a mixed brood of 

 several species I had under observation, a little guinea- 

 fowl and a still younger pheasant tried to cuddle down 

 under a wild duck and a tame duck, a day or two older 

 than themselves, with a touching confidence that was not 

 at all appreciated by the greedy ducklings, eager only for 

 food. Dr. Mills introduced to his chicks two pigeons (a 

 white pouter, and a black owl), to test whether the chicks 

 would show any instinctive fear. Not at all ; the little 

 birds nestled under them ! 



This instinctive action is, of course, under nature, in 

 adaptation to the corresponding instinctive behaviour of 

 the mother-bird, who takes them under her wing. But 

 with hand-reared birds the instinctive tendency acquires 

 a new direction, and undergoes modification. Chicks, 

 pheasants, partridges, plovers, moorhens, and other young 

 birds, whether wild by nature or of domesticated breeds, 

 would all run to my hands, after a very short time, 



D 



