THE SEVEN SISTERS. 19 



third was devouring, as neither of the joint owners dared 

 to let go his hold ! These traits of character would seem 

 to show that Crateropus canorus is in about the same stage 

 of moral evolution as that represented by the public school 

 boy, a gallant defender of his kind against the assaults of 

 "cads," "nippers," and '' vulgar plebs" generally, but 

 inclined also to be severe on them in individual disputes. 

 The reason for the development of such clannishness 

 is obvious when the very weak flight of this bird is noticed ; 

 the short wings are beaten quickly for a short distance, 

 and the labour is economised by a gliding skim till a fresh 

 effort is required ; and with such a method of flight escape 

 by aerial evolutions is very much at a discount. On 

 his feet the Babbler is much more at home, and hops along 

 with considerable speed, never running smoothly as the 

 true thrushes often do. He differs from these birds also 

 in another noticeable point in the use of the feet, having 

 the crow-like habit of using them to hold anything large 

 he is eating a thing no thrush would stoop to do or 

 think of doing, more likely. Babblers also resemble crows 

 and differ from most thrushes in the young birds being 

 like their parents ; young thrushes being, as everyone 

 knows, much more spotted than old ones. Whether the 

 Babblers go through any elaborate courtship ceremony I 

 cannot say ; male and female are equally ugly, but this 

 does not prevent some birds from making themselves ridi- 

 culous before the object of their affections, and possibly 

 these are among the number a Babbler could not be dig- 

 nified if he tried. Their nest is just about the sort of 

 abode one would expect them to build, a simple cup, more 



