Some Habits and Instincts of Voting Birds. 49 



-expression of fear, and then turned off in another direction. 

 On this hint, I made a vast number of experiments with 

 chickens and bees. In the great majority of instances the 

 chickens gave evidence of instinctive fear of these sting- 

 bearing insects, but the results were not uniform, and 

 perhaps the most accurate general statement I can give is 

 that they were uncertain, shy, and suspicious." Now, here, 

 so far as observation goes, I am able to confirm the facts as 

 thus generalized, but I differ from Spalding in their inter- 

 pretation. As I understand him, the shyness and sus- 

 piciousness were of bees as such, there being an imperfect 

 congenital avoidance of this dangerous insect because it was 

 instinctively recognized as dangerous. My own observa- 

 tions lead me rather to the following conclusions : First, 

 that there is a congenital differentiation of response 

 according as the moving objects, or even freshly introduced 

 inanimate objects, are large or small ; in other words, that 

 there is some congenital " shyness and suspiciousness " of 

 nny largish thing moving towards them or thrown to them. 

 But, secondly, that this becomes very much more marked 

 through individual experience. For example, a young 

 chick a day or so old which will peck at a small fly held in 

 a pair of fine forceps, will hesitate and shrink from a large 

 bluebottle held thus, especially if it buzzes ; while a little 

 bird which will run eagerly to small bits of a chopped-up 

 match, will shrink away from a whole " Bryant and May ; " 

 and in these cases there has been but little experience by 

 which the difference of behaviour could be guided. I 

 have seen half a dozen chicks, on their fourth day of active 

 life, uttering the danger note round a large carabus beetle 

 which lay sprawling on its back, and though one chick at 

 last pecked at it with a little dash, and threw it on one 

 side, after this neither he nor any of the others dare go 

 near it. There can be no question, however, that such 



