Intelligence and the Acquisition of Habits. 16 



o 



expansiveness ready to try all, dare all, and do all, with 

 the narrower and more restricted, if more concentrated, 

 efforts of those in whom the stern lessons of experience 

 have checked so much that is picturesquely impossible. 

 And this exuberant expansiveness of youth is a biological 

 and psychological fact of profound significance. 



One or two examples in further illustration of habits 

 which may be fairly regarded as acquired may now be 

 given. Mr. J. Southwell* has described how sparrows 

 at first pulled to pieces yellow crocuses to get at the 

 nectar, but afterwards simply bruised the perianth tube 

 sufficiently to extract the sweet fluid ; and he suggests 

 that this habit — begotten, be it noted, of intelligent 

 restriction — is acquired, and not inherited. 



In the Zoologist f for January, 1896, Dr. Lowe describes 

 a curious habit of the blackcap which he observed in 

 Tenerife. The birds visit the flowers of Hibiscus rosa- 

 sinensis and tear out pieces from the two upper segments 

 of the calyx, thus causing a drop of sweet fluid to exude. 

 This acts as a " bait," attracting numerous insects on 

 which the birds feed. A similar habit has been observed 

 in the Grand Canary in the case of a tit (Parus tenerifse), 

 which perforates the calyx of a shrubby species of Abutilon. 

 " The object of this proceeding seems to be to afford 

 a ready means by which ants may arrive at the nectary." 

 These, " after consuming the nectar, are found in a semi- 

 torpid state, making no attempt to escape on being dis- 

 turbed. They thus fall an easy prey to the tits, which 

 visit all the flowers at short intervals during the day, 

 and clear off all the ants. Another bird closely resembling 

 the willow wren also makes periodic visits to the Abutilon 

 flowers for the purpose of feeding on the ants," but was 

 not observed to take any part in lacerating the calyx. 



* Nature, vol. x. p. 7. t ."Vol. xx. pp. 1-10. 



