CHAPTER XIV 



Some Strange Incidents 



A VOLUME of this kind would perhaps be incomplete without 

 some reference to the various phenomena regarding the habits and 

 mentality of wild creatures which have from time to time come 

 under the writer's notice. 



For, strangely enough, such deviations from the normal would often 

 seem to be some indication as to whether the creatures involved are capable 

 of exercising actual thought, or whether they merely obey a blind instinct. 



Perhaps the most curious case was that brought to my notice in the spring 

 of 1913, which concerned a pair of Robins and a pair of Pied Wagtails who 

 had co-operated in building, inhabiting, and rearing their young in the same 

 nest. Although it concerns other than tree-nesting birds, it is so remarkable 

 as to be worthy of mention here. 



Instances of a pair of birds in addition to the gregarious varieties 

 occupying the nest which actually adjoins that of their neighbours are not 

 uncommon ; neither is it unusual for one pair of birds to oust another from 

 the home they have so laboriously prepared, and perhaps to sit upon the 

 eggs of the original owner, in addition to their own. Whilst cases in which a 

 bird deposits her egg, or eggs, in the nest of another are quite common. 



But, as far as my experience goes, the Robin- Wagtail episode is unique ; 

 in fact, had the news of it emanated from a less reliable source than Captain 

 Douglas English, I am afraid that I should not have believed it ; and should 

 probably have accounted for the mixed eggs by supposing that some one had 

 been trying an experiment. 



However, investigation proved that the nest actually was tenanted by 

 two pairs of birds, all of whom seemed anxious to share the domestic respon- 

 sibilities. 



When we first arrived at the place, we found that the female Robin was 

 sitting on the nest. We quietly put her off, and her departure revealed two 

 newly hatched young Wagtails, one newly hatched young Robin, one Wagtail's 

 egg, and two Robins' eggs. We were told that the nest originally contained 

 four eggs of the Robin, and four of the Wagtail, but that one of each 



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