BIKD SOCIOLOGY 129 



BIRDS AND TABLE MANNERS 



Within a few yards of my study window a fine rowan 

 or mountain ash has borne a very abundant crop of 

 berries this year. This has afforded me a rare oppor- 

 tunity for noticing the variety of birds that feast on this 

 luscious fruit. On this subject opinions seem to differ 

 considerably, some observers mentioning one or two 

 species, and few going beyond three or four. In the 

 course of a fortnight during the month of August my tree 

 was entirely stripped of its fruit by birds which came in 

 the following order. First of all the mistle-t brushes, 

 which are in the habit after the nesting season of wander- 

 ing about restlessly all over the country. During their 

 hurried visits they ate voraciously, and after a few days 

 gave way to the more modest and well-behaved song- 

 thrush, to blackbirds old and young, and to the few 

 starlings which have remained at home after their con- 

 geners have joined the large flocks now roaming the 

 neighbouring fields. After these ravenous feeders came 

 the smaller birds, among whom I noted as particularly 

 pleased with their fare bull-finches, blackcaps, chaffinches, 

 and a solitary pair of whitethroats. Now and then as 

 many as five varieties of birds might be seen feasting 

 together at the same time. From first to last there was 

 no quarrelling, no attempt at domination or monopoly. 

 All behaved as decorously toward one another as the 

 guests at a city banquet. 



W. E. WINKS. 



NOTE. They may have behaved decorously towards 

 one another, but they conducted themselves with a singu- 

 lar lack of consideration towards those museum worthies 

 whose theories directed them to compete like mad round 

 the platter of subsistence. Courtesy? Bank heresy is 

 the word. I fear there are other violations. Birds 

 migrate when they ought to be solving the economic 



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