The Mentality of Wild Birds and Beasties 



from time to time by their mates upon fresh water 

 shrimps and other forms of Crustacea. I always knew 

 when my particular tern's mate was coming home, for 

 she infallibly identified him either by the sound of his 

 voice or his appearance as he flapped to and fro amongst 

 other birds overhead, and gave him a welcoming note 

 before he alighted. " Very clever," I thought, but 

 soon discovered that there was another side to her 

 mental account. Her single chick was growing strong 

 and restless, and, whenever the mother bird left the 

 nest, persisted in crawling out of its little hollow in the 

 sand and away. 



This rendered the photography of its parents im- 

 possible, so I exchanged it for a newly-hatched young 

 one from a nest a few yards away. The changeling was 

 smaller and palpably darker in colour, but the mother 

 tern upon her return home took not the slightest notice 

 of these facts, and sat down and brooded little Jacob 

 without demur. 



Everybody who has dug a garden or ferreted rabbits 

 knows what an intelligent, quick-sighted little bird 

 Robin Redbreast is. The tinkle of a garden fork or 

 spade spells food, and there he is ready and willing to 

 take advantage of any edible trifle that may be turned 

 up. He knows that ferreting means occasional digging, 

 and will attach himself to a party and never leave it 

 until his patience and courage have been rewarded by a 

 good meal of worms, be the gun-fire ever so hot or 

 erratic. 



Remembering and admiring these things I was some- 



