178 ANIMAL KINDERGARTEN 



identity of the parent. The instance which Mr. 

 Hudson quotes of the distinction which nestling birds 

 do make between their ' own language ' and an unknown 

 tongue, is still more confusing to the theorist, though 

 most interesting as a fact. The young of the parasitical 

 starling of North America, known as the ' cow-bird,' 

 never learn the warning notes of their foster-parents. 

 c They will readily devour worms from the hand of 

 man, even when the old (foster) birds are hovering 

 above them and screaming their danger-notes, while 

 their own young, if the parasite has allowed any to 

 survive, are crouching down in the greatest fear.' But 

 when grown up and associating with their own kind 

 they become suspicious and shy like other wild birds. 

 All the ' catching-and-killing ' games practised by cats 

 and kittens, puppies, weasels, fox-cubs, and other young 

 carnivora are educational, as are the wild gallops in- 

 dulged in by mares with well-grown foals ; but no one 

 has ever seen a cow try to educate her calf, and little 

 pigs, like Mr. Sam Weller, are expected to educate 

 themselves. But they also educate one another. 



It will be noticed that all creatures which have large 

 families, whether beasts or birds, have less trouble in 

 rearing them than those which have only one or two 

 young. Little pigs are weeks ahead of calves in 

 intelligence, and the young partridge, with its dozen 

 brothers and sisters, is far more teachable than the 



