THE SEVEN SISTERS. 23 



canorus is in about the same stage of moral evolution 

 as that represented by the public school boy, a gallant 

 defender of his kind against the assaults of " cads," 

 " nippers," and " vulgar plebs " generally, but 

 inclined also to be severe on them in individual 

 disputes. 



The reason for the development of such clannish- 

 ness is obvious when the very weak flight of this 

 bird is noticed ; the short wings are beaten quickly 

 for a short distance, and the labour is economised 

 by a ghding skim till a fresh effort is required ; and 

 with such a method of flight escape by aerial evolu- 

 tions is very much at a discount. On his feet the 

 Babbler is much more at home, and hops along with 

 considerable speed, never running smoothly as the 

 true thrushes often do. He differs from these birds 

 also in another noticeable point in the use of the 

 feet, having the crow-like habit of using them to 

 hold anything large he is eating — a. thing no thrush 

 would stoop to do — or think of doing, more likely. 

 Babblers also resemble crows and difier from most 

 thrushes in the young birds being like their parents ; 

 young thrushes being, as everyone knows, much more 

 spotted than old ones. Whether the Babblers go 

 through any elaborate courtship ceremony I cannot 

 say ; male and female are equally ugly, but this 

 does not prevent some birds from making themselves 



