278 BIRD BEHAVIOUR 



Landrail and Tinamou, is regarded by Mr. Hudson 

 as a kind of swoon induced by extreme terror ; but 

 I have noticed that cock Purple Sun-birds (Cinnyris 

 asiatica) when attacked by a rival in confinement, 

 hang from the perch by the feet as if dead, which 

 looks rather like a ruse de guerre. 



Sun-birds, like all honey-eating birds, are very 

 pugnacious, but among these sweet-loving swash- 

 bucklers some, the comparatively large plain-coloured 

 Friar-birds of Australasia (Philedon), are full of social 

 instinct, and unite to drive off Hawks and Crows. 

 Hence has arisen the idea that they are " mim- 

 icked," unconsciously of course, by some Orioles 

 which live in the same islands and resemble them in 

 their sober snuff-brown colours ; but as the ordi- 

 nary gorgeous Orioles of Asia and Africa get on all 

 right without mimicry, and as in Australia itself 

 the Orioles, though not very bright, do not in the 

 least resemble the local Friar-birds, the theory is 

 unnecessary. 



The police instinct which leads high-spirited 

 birds of active flight to attack predatory species is, 

 however, usually developed among solitary rather 

 than social species ; the King-bird (Tyrannus 

 carolinensis) of North America is perhaps the most 

 striking exponent of this policy, but he has a worthy 

 rival in the very abundant and conspicuous " King- 

 Crow," or common Drongo Shrike of the East, 

 while in Europe the Missel-Thrush takes up police 

 duty. 



Birds may even assume the function of warning 



