270 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



very slowly, * Old — old — old — old ' (and then very quickly) 

 * Lucy Tucker/ Feeling that this was not right, it woidd 

 try again as before, ' Old — old — old — old — old Bessy 

 Tucker,' substituting one word after another in the place 

 of the sought-for word ' Dan.' And that the process was one 

 of truly seeking for the desired word was proved by the 

 fact that if, while the bird was saying, 'Old — old — old — 

 old,' any one threw in the word ' Dan,' he immediately 

 supplied the ' Tucker.' 



Emotions, 



As regards emotions, it is among birds that we first 

 meet with a conspicuous advance in the tenderer feelings 

 of affection and sympathy. Those relating to the sexes 

 and the care of progeny are in this class proverbial for 

 their intensity, offering, in fact, a favourite type for the 

 poet and moralist. The pining of the * love-bird ' for its 

 absent mate, and the keen distress of a hen on losing her 

 chickens, furnish abundant evidence of vivid feelings of 

 the kind in question. Even the stupid-looking ostrich 

 has heart enough to die for love, as was the case with a 

 male in the Eotund of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, 

 who, having lost his wife, pined rapidly away. It is remark- 

 able that in some species — notably pigeons — conjugal 

 fidelity should be so strongly marked ; for this shows, not 

 only what may be called a refinement of sexual feeling, 

 but also the presence of an abiding image in the mind's 

 eye of the lover. For instance, — 



Referring to the habits of the mandarin duck (a Chinese 

 species) Mr. Bennett says that Mr. Beale's aviary afforded a 

 singular corroboration of the fidelity of the birds in question. 

 Of a pair in that gentleman's possession, the drake being one 

 night purloined by some thieves, the unfortunate duck displayed 

 the strongest marks of despair at her bereavement, retiring into 

 a corner, and altogether neglectiug food and drink, as well aS 

 the care of her person. In this condition she was courted by a 

 drake who had lost his mate, but who met with no encourage- 

 ment from the widow. On the stolen drake being subsequently 

 recovered and restored to the aviary, the most extravagant 

 demonstrations of joy were displayed by the fond couple ; but 

 this was not all, for, as if informed by his spouse of the gallant 



