A Bird's Education 171 



be an order to the little folks to follow, for all would start 

 up and circle round for a minute or two, and then drop 

 back to the fence or the ground to rest. 



" Once, while I was watching them, this cry was given, 

 and all flew as usual except one bob-tailed baby, who 

 stood on a big stone in the middle of the field. He was 

 perhaps so comfortable that he did not want to go, or it 

 may be he was afraid, and thought mamma would not 

 notice him. But mothers' eyes are sharp, and she did see 

 him. She knew, too, that baby crows must learn to fly ; 

 so when all came down again she flew right at the naughty 

 bird, and knocked him off his perch. He squawked, and 

 fluttered his wings to keep from falling, but the blow came 

 so suddenly that he had not time to save himself, and he 

 fell flat on the ground. In a minute he clambered back 

 upon his stone, and I watched him closely. The next 

 time the call came to fly he did not linger, but went with 

 the rest, and so long as I could watch him he never dis- 

 obeyed again." 



This is evidence not only of parental teaching, but also 

 of parental discipline. Here is another bit from the same 

 volume, bearing its lesson on its face. "A lady told me 

 a funny story about a robin. He was brought up in the 

 house from the nest, and never learned to sing the robin 

 song, for he had not heard it. He plainly tried to make 

 some sort of music, and one of the family taught him to 

 whistle 'Yankee Doodle'. He whistled it perfectly, and 

 never tried to sing anything else. Once this Yankee 

 Doodle robin got out of the house and flew up into a tree. 



