Chapter XII (2)

Instinct, may sometimes have grown out of mere mechanical movements,
179-180, 184, 185, 300, 301;
evidence in regard to this, 180, 181
Resulting from lapsed intelligence, 185

“Intimations of immortality,” supposed, 10

Jackdaws, seem conscious of their superiority when with rooks, 54
Decorate their nests, 68

Jaguar, theory of protective colouring in regard to, questioned, 43, 44

Kestrel flying with peewits, 127

Kissing, origin of, in man probably utilitarian, 211-213
In relation to birds, 211-213

Landseer, false criticism of, 88, 89
Masterpiece of, removed from the National Gallery, 89

Larks, various ways of mounting and descending of, 107, 108
Individual variety in flight of, 108
Winter ways of, 108, 109
Piping note in winter of, 109
Song in February of, 109
Chases _à trois_ of, 109
Change locality according to season, 110

Leopard, theory of protective colouring in regard to, questioned, 43, 44

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker brings collection of insects in beak to feed
young, 216

Lion, theory of protective colouring in regard to, questioned, 43

Long-tailed Tit, roosting habits of, 6
Movements of, 16-18;
compared with those of blue tit, 17, 18
Aerial forced march of, 17
Note of, 18
Nest-building habits of, 198-204
Origin of dome of nest of, 199;
and of entrance to, 200, 201, 203
Uniform way of entering and leaving nest of, 200
Contortionist powers of, 202, 204
Approaches and leaves nest by one set path, 202, 203
The “sweep” up to nest of, 203

Man, the chief animal in this world only, 295

Maternal affection, beauty of, 214
All hail to, 216

Mellersh, Mr., letter of, to _Standard_ about starlings referred
to, 160

Migration, facts of, marginal reference to, 290

Missel-Thrush, harsh strident note of, 4
Puts a peewit to flight, 123
Skirmishes of, with stone-curlews, 123, 124
Retreats with honour, 124

Moorhen, haunts the river Lark, 261
Pair of, built yearly in author’s pond, 265
Supernumerary nests made by, 265-269
Sits in two or more nests, 266-269
Bathing habits of, 267
Special bathing-places of, public and private, 267
Pronounced habit of over-building of, 269
Destruction of its own eggs by, 269-273;
possible explanation of this habit, 272, 273;
may be compared with that of the cow-birds of America, 273
Continued building of nest by, during incubation and rearing
of young, 273
Due, probably, to a blind impulse, 273, 274
Legs of, gartered in male alone, 275
Triple successive coloration of the cere in, 275
Difficulty of explaining this, 275, 276
Precocity of young, 276, 277
Fear of man in the newly-hatched chick, 277
Carries shell of hatched egg to shore, 277
Young, fed by dams, 277
Young, notes of, 277, 278
Maternal cries of, 277, 278
Clucking note of, to call young, 277, 278;
and for other uses, 278
Variety of expression in cries of young, 278
Young, sit in nest with one parent, 278
No maternal ruse employed by, 181, 278, 279;
material for the evolution of one possibly observed, 279
Nerves of, highly strung, 280
Effect of report of gun on, 280
Motions, actions, &c., of, 280
A bundle of caprices, 280
Habit of flirting tail of, 280
Pugnacity of, 281
Scene in “The Rivals” acted by, 281
Warlike display of, 281-283
Method of fighting of, 283-285;
is essentially unaquatic, 284, 285
Pugnacity of, even in winter, 281
Bathes only in shallow water, 285
Analogy between some actions of, and more developed ones of Ypecaha
rail, 285, 286
Nuptial antic or pose of, 287, 288
Emotional hermaphroditism of, 288
Interchangeable performance of nuptial rite in sexes of, 288;
bearing of this on questions of nature and origin of sexual display,
and of inter-sexual selection, 288, 289;
as, also, on the subliminal self theory, 289

Myers, the late Mr. F. W. H., has ignored Darwin’s views as to origin
of musical faculty in man, 10

Natural history, no finality in, 249

Nature, sometimes looks unnatural, 88
Two voices of, 110
Full of irony, 245

Nest, false, of peewit, the, 166-168;
is the real nest, 168
Of birds, suggested origin of the, 168-180
May have been originally a _thalamum_ more especially, 181, 182
Was once put to two uses habitually, 181, 182;
as it still is in some instances, 182

Nest-building instinct, suggested origin of, in birds, 168-184

Nightingale, hen alone seen to build, 206

Nightjar, common about Icklingham, 21
Sits on extreme tip-top of spruce or larch, 21
Its habit of clapping its wings, 21-23;
sometimes a great many times consecutively, 22, 23
“Quaw-ee,” note of, 21
Beauty of flight and aerial mastery of, 22
A new sensation obtained by seeing it, 22
Domestic habits of, 23-37
Change on the nest of, 24
Churring note uttered by both sexes, 25
Expressive power of the churr, 26
Incubation shared by male and female, 23, 24, 26
Sexes hard to distinguish, 26
Male less skilful in incubation than female, 26
Hen, the more assiduous sitter, 26
Interesting scene observed, 26-29
Method of moving eggs adopted by, 27
Mahomet and the mountain, 28
Both parents feed chicks, 29
Low querulous note of, whilst in unharassed circumstances, 29
Chicks fed by regurgitation, 29-32, 34
Probable mode of catching insects of, 30-33
Kind of insects, &c., mostly eaten by, 31-33
An aerial whale, 33, 258
Difference in size between the two chicks of, 35
Early quiescence and later activity of chicks, 35, 36
Nesting site gradually deserted, 35
Chicks called up by parents, 35, 36
Maternal ruse practised by, 36
Anxiety of parents in regard to chicks, 36, 37
Chicks walk or run easily, 37;
as do also the grown birds, 37
Nuptial rite may be performed on the ground, 37
Variety of notes of, 37-39;
no special limited meaning assignable to these, 37-39
Resemblance of, to piece of fir-bark, 40, 41;
possible meaning of such resemblance, 41, 42
Generally protective colouring in relation to incubative, &c., habits
of, 42, 43
Returns, each year, to same locality, 50
Has favourite trees and branches, 50
Does not always nest in same spot, 50

Nuptial antics, suggested origin of, 180, 181

Optimists, as reasoners, 231

Ostrich, nesting habits of, as described by Mr. Cronwright Schreiner,
176-178;
suggestions as to the meaning and origin of these, 177-179
Rolling of, in courtship, 178
Two kinds of, 178

Ornithologists, works of seem written to assist bird-nesters, 210

Parasitic instinct, in birds, possible origin of, 132

Parental ruses, suggested origin of, 180, 181

Partridges, curious chasings of one another of, 188-191;
nature and suggested explanation of, 189-192

Peewits, repair to fens towards end of October for the winter, 3, 116
Return in February, 116
Appearance, &c., of, 117
Their way of bathing, 117, 118;
and of feeding, 119
Chased by missel-thrush, 124
Rolling and other strange sexual antics of, 163-166, 174, 175;
nature of such movements, 167, 168, 171-173;
theory founded upon them as to origin of nest-building amongst birds,
166-184
“False nests” of, 166-168;
not essentially differing from the real nest, 168

“_Pesses_,” formerly used in Icklingham church, 56

Pheasant, at roosting time, 5
Roosting habits of, 6
Trumpety note of, 7
Soft note of, at roosting, 7
Partial paralysis produced in, by sudden fright, 279, 280
A cock, put to flight by stone-curlew, 123

Philistines, the, bloodthirsty shouts of, 156
False plea of the, 156, 157
Having no appreciation of anything, can destroy everything with
impunity, 156, 157
Hypocritical pretence of, to an æsthetic motive, 157

Poet, the, not a teacher, 11
His aptitude to feel and express, 12

Protective coloration theory, unsatisfactory in regard to tiger, leopard,
jaguar, &c., 43-49
Inapplicable to animals that hunt at night by scent, 47
Versus sexual selection, 43-50

Psychical Research Society, great mistake made by, 143-145
Its man-worshipping attitude, 143-145
Its neglect of the comparative method, 143-145
Indifferent to field natural history, 145
Should let the dogs into church, 145
Conclusions of, reared on too narrow a basis of fact and observation,
290

Rabbits, the stamping of, with hind legs may have various meanings, 38
Theory in regard to white tail of, unsubstantiated, 46, 47
Browse lichen, 92
One warming his paws at camp fire, 93

Rhyme, old, about cuckoo changing its tune in June not trustworthy, 96
Truth sacrificed for sake of, 96, 97
So-called cockney, the, the bugbear of pedants and purists, 97
Fetters of, should be loosened, not tightened, 97

River Lark, description of, 2

Rooks, feeding habits of, 52
Mingle with hooded crows, 52, 58
Disagreements of, with hooded crows, 52-54
Rules of precedence of, when feeding in company, 53
Fighting methods of, 54
Partial reversion of some, to less social state, 55
Gregarious instinct of, sometimes in abeyance, 55, 56
Eat roots of thistles, 56
May sometimes roost singly, 57
Are more civilised than the hooded crow, 57
Mysterious relations of, with the hooded crow, 58-60
Visits of, to nesting-trees during winter, 60-63;
reasons for, and suggested origin of these visits, 63-70
Compared to bower-birds, 64-70
Often pair on nest, 68
Are swayed by love in winter as well as in summer, 70
Their round of life during winter, 70, 71

Sand-martins, fight violently, 248
Late appearance of several, 259

Schiller, his two great forces “hunger and love,” 70
Has forgotten sleep, 71

Scott, his style not appreciated by the inappreciative, 82

Sense of direction referred to, 290

Sexual selection, prejudice in regard to theory of, 45;
the reason for this, 45
May account for white tail in rabbit, 47
And for posterior markings, colours, &c., generally, 47
Stripes and spots of tiger, leopard, jaguar, zebra, &c., probably due
to, 43-50

Shag, decorates its nest with flowers, &c., 68

“She oaks,” characteristic of country round Icklingham, 3, 4
Of the poplar tribe, 3
Their great size, 3
Are, fortunately, valueless, 3

Sleep, a third ruling power, forgotten by Schiller, 71

Snipe, one as part of picturesque scene, 119
Their odd, stereotyped way of fighting, 185-189;
and of pursuing one another, 188;
suggested explanation of these and similar phenomena exhibited by
other birds, 190-193

Song-Thrush, a fighter, though said not to be, 223

Sparrow with a grievance, a, 245
Nest-building habits of, 245-247
Oppression of house-martins by, 243-246, 248

Spiders, one answers query, 14
Hibernate under bark of trees, 14

Spiritualism, doctrine of, does not answer certain questions, 232
Makes best of bad job, but the bad job remains, 232
Presents many difficulties, 232

Spur-winged lapwing, antics, _à trois_ of, 110;
suggested origin of, 109, 110

Starlings, bathing, 119
Feeding over the land, 119
Enjoy company of peewits, 120
A single one flying with peewits, 120
One welcomed back by another, 120, 121
Have hearts even in winter, 121, 122
Imitate note of peewit, 122
Relations of, with green woodpecker, 129-132;
may lead to one or other acquiring parasitic instinct, 131, 132
As architects, 133-136
Their nests in sand-pits, 133-135
How made? 133-136
Social nesting habits of, 136-138
Make morality seem a bore, 137
Roosting habits of, 138-154
Flocking of, before roosting, 138, 139
_Susurrus_, or sing-song of, 138
Erratic descent into trees of, 139
Simultaneous aerial movement amongst large bodies of, 140, 142, 143;
some form of thought-transference seems necessary to explain
these, 143
Distinctive note uttered by, whilst flying, 145, 146
Twitter whilst flying, 146
Varied entry of, into roosting place, 146
Exodus of, from wood in regiments, 147-152;
back regiments fly first, 150
Breaking back of, during exodus, 150, 151
Increase altitude when passing hedges, &c., 152
Great flights of, a study for Turner, 152
Poetry in numbers of, 152
Actions of, in the roosting place, 153, 154;
a disseminating process observable, 153;
slow diminution of the sing-song, 153;
sudden flights and scurryings, 153, 154;
silence not till long after nightfall, 154
Morning flight out from roosting-place, 154, 155;
takes place by successive bands or regiments, 154, 155
Kind of bushes, &c., chosen to roost in, 155, 156;
possible explanation of this, 155, 156
Letter written to _Daily Telegraph_ about, 157-160
Good done by, 160, 161
Harm done by, to fruit inconsiderable, 160, 161
Small space occupied by, to sleep in, 157-161
Do no harm to song-birds, 158, 159, 161, 162
Do not “infest,” but country gentlemen do, 162

Statesmen, good that might be done by “translation” of, into
dabchicks, 305

Stevenson, style of, preferred by Stevenson to Scott’s, 82
But not by author, 82

Stock-dove, odd formalities in combats of, 185;
explanation of these, 185

Stone-chat, his motions, &c., 115, 116
An angry bird, 115
His tail flirted at you, 116;
his certain answer if questioned on the subject, 116
Variation in appearance of, 116

Stone-curlew, a special feature of country round Icklingham, 124
Often feeds with peewits, 122
A fighter, 122, 123
Puts a cock pheasant to flight, 123
Skirmishes of, with missel-thrushes, 123, 124
Warlike display of rival males, 123;
not employed when attacking another species, 123;
suggested explanation of this, 123
Sad cry of, 124, 125
The _clamour_ of, 125
Other notes of, 125, 126
Cry of, recalling piping of oyster-catcher, 126
The gathering of the clans, 125
Pursued by sparrow-hawk, 126
The _Heimkehr_ of, in the early morning, 127
Is _di-nocturnal_, 128
More active during the day in spring, 128
Crouching habits of, 128
Evening dances of, in autumn, 128
Migration of, 128

Subliminal self, theory of the, a criticism of, 289-294
Numerous objections to, 292-294
Author’s counter hypothesis to, of innumerable ancestral subliminal
_selves_, 289, 290

Swallow tribe, the, insects, how caught and swallowed by, 258

Swan, nest-building actions of the male, 174

“Test of time,” the, a misleading expression, 89-92

Tiger, protective coloration theory in regard to, questioned, 43-45
Beauty of the, Darwin’s view as to how acquired, 44-46
Coloration of, in relation to man, 47, 48
Chinese proverb in regard to Coreans and the, 48
Eye-witness’s account of the stalking of a cow by a, 48, 49

Titlark, mounting and descent of, 110, 111
More like a lark than a wagtail, 111, 112;
resembles a wagtail also, 113

Tits, a feature of Icklingham, 194

Tree-pipit, voice of, like the skylark’s, 112

Tuddenham, observations on pair of dabchicks at, 296-306

Voice, importance of the, in classification, 112, 113

Water-wagtail, courting actions of male, 113, 114;
similarity in, to those of pheasant, 114
Nest of, in that of song-thrush, 213
Hen alone seems to incubate, 213
Alternates eating with building, 213, 214
Open bills of young, like Venetian glass vases, 214
Collects a number of flies, &c., for young, 214
Beauty of maternal love as exemplified by, 214
Skill of, in collecting flies, 215, 216

Weather, the, and the cries of birds, 6, 7

Wheatear, characteristic of the steppes of Icklingham, 106
Arrival of first pair of, 106
Arrives in splendid plumage, 106
Ways of the male, 106, 107
Plumage of male, 114, 115
Courtship of male, 107, 114
Curious sexual actions of male, 175, 176

Wood-pigeons, cooing of, 8, 9
Roosting of, 9, 10, 12, 13
Emotions raised by rushing sound of wings of, 9, 10;
remarks as to this, 10-12
Numbers of, in West Suffolk, 12, 13
_Pigeon-trees_ made by, 13
Less characteristic coo of, 74, 75
Single one flying with starlings, 127
Partial paralysis produced in, by sudden fright, 279, 280

Wordsworth, his “intimations of immortality” due to the laws of
inheritance, 10, 11
No evidence contained in the famous ode of, 11, 12

Wren, house-hunting of, 13, 14
Food of, in winter, 14
Seen to enter long-tailed tit’s nest in absence of owner, 204, 205

Ypecaha rails, screaming dances of, referred to, 285

Printed by BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO.
Edinburgh & London

GEORGE ALLEN
PUBLISHER LONDON
RUSKIN HOUSE
156 CHARING CROSS ROAD]

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The late F. W. H. Myers explains music in his own way--in forced accordance, that is to say, with his subliminal self hypothesis--without even a reference to Darwin! Did he not know Darwin’s views, or did he think himself justified in ignoring them?

[2] As reported in “Proceedings,” March 1902. Part xliii.

[3] Or in The Tempest as produced and acted at Stratford-on-Avon during the last anniversary.

[4] The accuracy of Jenner’s observations on this point, was questioned, not long since, by his enemies: but most triumphantly was it vindicated.

[5] Or some days later.

[6] The pursuit, namely, just alluded to; but the birds were soon lost amongst the nettles.

[7] I can see no reason why those who think the leopard’s spots and the tiger’s stripes protective, should hold the same theory in regard to the quiet and uniform colouring of the lion. To others, however, this and the obscure markings on the young animal certainly suggest that, here, sexual adornment has given place to harmony with the surrounding landscape. The male lion, however, has developed a mane, and this, by becoming fashionable at the expense of colour and pattern, may have led to the deterioration of the latter. The aboriginal colouring of all these creatures was, probably, dull, and to this the lion may have reverted. But if _he_ is protected by his colouring, how can the leopard--in the same country and with similar habits--also be? The same question may be asked in regard to the puma and jaguar, who roam together, seeking the same prey, over a vast expanse of territory. Again, if the lion was once spotted, and if his spots, like the leopard’s, were a protection, why has he lost them?

[8] In Indian sporting works one more often reads of tigers being located in “nullahs” or patches of jungle than amongst bamboos. The tiger, moreover, ranges into Siberia, and to the shores of the Caspian, where bamboos, presumably, do not grow, or are not common.

[9] “Descent of Man,” pp. 543, 545.

[10] Darwin mentions one conspicuous instance.

[11]

“As the pine shakes off the snow-flakes
From the midnight of its branches.”

--_Hiawatha_, xix.

[12] By inappreciative _asses_.

[13] Or the man he quotes--and absorbs.

[14] “Bird Watching,” p. 28.

[15] “Bird Watching,” pp. 9-15.

[16] The _nakedness_ in this case rather; but I use the term conventionally.

[17] Or might be, if any one cared to witness them. Nobody does.

[18] “The Descent of Man,” pp. 41, 42.

[19] “Bird Watching,” p. 284.

[20] December 8, 1904, I think, or thereabouts.

[21] Page 72.

[22] There are two kinds of ostriches--the scientific, or professorial kind, that behaves in a way peculiar to itself, because it is “a _ratite_ bird,” and the common, vulgar kind, as known to people in South Africa, who have observed its habits on the ostrich-farms. For the first, see various authorities, and for the second, Mr. Cronwright Schreiner, in the _Zoologist_, as mentioned above.

[23] “Bird Watching,” pp. 60, 61.

[24] The female peewit, it must be remembered, acted in much the same way as the male, and the sexual antics of many birds seem to be identical in both sexes.

[25] This, in itself, has the appearance of design only. The bird, however, works from within, and, if I mistake not, there would be a growing tendency for the structure, as it rose in height, to bend over inwards rather than outwards.

[26] Something, that is to say, of a _utilitarian_ nature. One should watch monkeys also.

[27] As, were it the true one, this nest should have done--but did not, as I remember. Instead, it stood firm through the time of sitting and rearing.

[28] “Bird Watching,” pp. 104, 105.

[29] Hudson’s “Argentine Ornithology,” vol. i., pp. 72-79.

[30] The facts of migration should be studied in regard to this. See Professor Newton’s “A Dictionary of Birds,” pp. 562-570.

[31] Compare, for instance, with the “Out of the Deeps,” &c., these lines of Catullus--

“Soles occidere, et redire possunt,
Nobis, cum semel occidit brevis lux
Nox est perpetua una dormenda.”

[32] “Translated,” like Bottom--but more radically.

[33] But see pp. 319, 320.

[34] See _ante_, pp. 131, 132.

* * * * * *

Transcriber’s note:

Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original.