BIRDS IN A VILLAGE 91 



flapping its wings, rises again with great effort. 

 From this last form it is but a step to the more 

 highly developed complex instinct of the bird that 

 sinks to the earth and flutters painfully away, gasping, 

 and seemingly incapable of flight. 



It would be a great mistake to suppose that the 

 bird when fluttering on the ground to lead an enemy 

 from the neighbourhood of its nest is in full posses- 

 sion of all its faculties, acting consciously, and 

 itself in as little danger of capture as when on its 

 perch or flying through the air. We have seen that 

 the action has its root in the bird's passion for its 

 young, and intense solicitude in the presence of 

 any danger threatening them, which is so universal 

 in this class of creatures, and which expresses itself 

 so variously in different kinds. This must be in all 

 cases a painful and debilitating emotion, and when 

 the bird drops down to the earth its pain has caused 

 it to fall as surely as if it had received a wound 

 or had been suddenly attacked by some grievous 

 malady; and when it flutters on the ground it is 

 for the moment incapable of flight, and its efforts 

 to recover flight and safety cause it to beat its wings, 

 and tremble, and gasp with open mouth. The 

 object of the action is to deceive an enemy, or, to 

 speak more correctly, the result is to deceive ; and 

 there is nothing that will more inflame and carry 

 away any rapacious mammal than the sight of a 



