296 BIOLOGICAL LECTURES. 



ferent to any proffered food, not paying the least attention, so 

 far as I noticed, to tempting morsels dropped quietly in front 

 of them or held in suspension before them. Living earth- 

 worms and insect larvae were presented to them, all of which 

 were known to be palatable to the creature in its natural 

 habitat ; but nothing availed to draw attention or elicit any 

 evidence of hunger. Quiet and wholly indifferent in outward 

 behavior, yet the animals were actually starving and wasting 

 away. Were the creatures feigning quiet and indifference? 

 Or was the behavior merely the expression of timidity, the 

 animal not having the courage to perform the acts necessary 

 to secure the food which it must have craved ? I confess that 

 I did not for a long time understand the cause of this refusal 

 of food. 



Further acquaintance with the adults, supplemented by an 

 experience of two seasons in rearing the young, opened my 

 eyes to the extreme timidity of these animals, which is so 

 deep-seated and persistent that one can form only a poor idea 

 of it without considerable actual contact with it. The outward 

 behavior is very quiet and mild and gives little indication of 

 fear. The animal will often submit to gentle handling without 

 making any violent effort to escape. In short, the behavior 

 is misleading, and one stands no chance of understanding it 

 until he learns to keep quiet himself while observing, and 

 discovers how to get into confidential relations with the crea- 

 ture. This can be done with the adults, but to better advan- 

 tage with the young. 



b. Behavior of Young in Taking Food. 



The eggs may be readily hatched in a shallow dish and 

 young thus obtained which have never learned anything from 

 the parents. I had about fifty young hatched in this way 

 towards the end of July. When first hatched they were loaded 

 with food-yolk sufficient to meet their needs for about two 

 months. By the end of September I began to get intima- 

 tions of a desire for food. The method of feeding was as 

 follows : The dish containing the young was kept on a table, 



