134 PARENTAL DEVOTION OF BIRDS 



to judge with surprising accuracy the range of modern 

 fowling-pieces. This can only be explained as the 

 intelligent application of observation and experience, 

 both of which may be transmitted from parent to 

 chick. Dr. W. L. Kalph has described how the 

 American ground-dove, when driven from its nest, 

 'will drop to the ground as if shot, and then flutter 

 around as if wounded, to try and draw the person 

 disturbing it away from the nest.' The suggestion is 

 that this habit has been acquired by observation of the 

 effect of firearms, a purely intelligent process. 



In the behaviour of certain birds may be recognised 

 discrimination, which is one of the higher functions of 

 intelligence. Yesterday, before breakfast, I passed 

 within four yards of a thrush busily engaged in drag- 

 ging its breakfast, in the shape of a luckless earthworm, 

 from the inoist turf of the lawn. The bird desisted as 

 I approached, cocking a curious eye at me. It turned 

 round as I passed, keeping its head towards me, and 

 I could plainly read its thoughts. ' Now, I don't sup- 

 pose this old buffer means to be nasty; he is only 

 worrying over his silly flowers. Still one can't trust 

 that kind always ; I 'd better keep an eye on him. My 

 mother told me that her grandfather had had his neck 

 wrung by a creature just like that.' Then, as I moved 

 off, the bird resumed its business of ragging the worm. 



Very different would have been the behaviour of the 

 same bird in the outskirts of a village in France, where 

 grives are so much prized as a delicacy. 



