486 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



the beginning, while the akricial young of other birds 

 stretch their necks and open their mouths at the approach 

 of an enemy as eagerly as at the approach of their par- 

 ents. It is not until their wing feathers grow out or until 

 they are able to respond to the calls of the old birds, that 



thouj;h long continued kindness will help to dispel it. 



The tenacity of the instinct varies with dilYerent spe- 

 cies and with individuals of the same species. During 

 the past winter, for example, we trapped for experimental 

 purposes, a number of wild ducks of several species, can- 

 vasbacks, scaup ducks, black ducks, 

 and mallards. Within a few days 

 some of the canvasbacks became 

 accustomed to our presence and 

 dove and fed in the artificial pond 

 with biit little show of fear. The 

 scaup ducks were slower to adapt 

 themselves, and the mallards and 

 black ducks remain sullen to this 



BKTTV FKKDINC; THK. C.KKSK 



they crouch and hide or flutter from 



the nest upon one's intrusion. The 



fear is apparently instilled into them 



or acquired by absorption from 



their parents, for if they are taken 



from the nest before it appears and 



raised by hand, it never develops. 



Thus, the wary crow, when taken 



from the nest before it acquires the 



fear instinct, becomes so tame as to 



be almost obnoxious. On the other hand, if young birds 



are taken after it appears, they may never lose it, al- 



WIIK^' HUNGER DOMINATES FEAR 



Part of a flock of wild geese owned by J. D. Showell, at Ocean City, Maryland. They are 

 valuable as decoys during the hunting season, and are very tame, coming to his call and even 

 permitting discriminate petting. 



day. Even among the canvasbacks, however, there is a 

 difl^erence and some are much tamer than others. An- 



CAN YOU SEE THEM? 



Young Killdeers, just hatched, crouching in the nest. In precocial birds 

 such as the plovers, sandpipers, ducks, and grouse, fear develops imme- 

 diately upon hatching and they hide upon the approach of an enemy. 



THE SHELTERING HAND OF AN ORNITHOLOGIST 



The little Blackburnian warblet does not appreciate the protection and 

 submits to it only because of the precious eggs beneath her and her abnor- 

 mally developed instinct to protect them. 



