The Van Buren press., 1898-10-01
ANIMAL INSTINCT.
A Story About u Thrush That La
Somewhat of n Tax Upoa
Credulity.

4 correspondent sends this curious
story of animal instinct
i have often been urged to ask your
acceptance of the following story,
which goes far to prove that instinct
in animals and reason in man are very
much alike. 1t was seven years ago
that, while walking in the grounds
about my house-Marie hall, Liam
dudno-now a conyalescent home in
the occupation Of the Birmingham
hospital fund, my attention was ar
rested by three thrushes, who were
flying excitedly TO and fro in front of
me, and so close that l could have
caught them. Following their move
ments, | noticed that their path was
always over my little dog a fox terrier
pup about ten months old, which was
lying in the grass, and each bird as it
passed struck al him with its wings.
Going to the dog. | found that It held
between its mouth and feet young
thrush, fully hedged, but not quite
able to fly. | took the bird, quite un-
harmed, from the dog, placed il in the
bush, gave the dog little seolding,
went my way, and thought no more
about it. Next morning, seated at
breakfast, | heard the cluttering of
bird outside door which opens into
a terrace garden. This door is par
TALLY glazed, and looking through it
saw thrush hopping about close to it.
4 -, Il
forward. The bird hoped a yard or
SO in front. retraced my steps. walk
ing backward. The bird followed.
Thinking this might be mere eoinci-
dence, repeated each movement. So
did the bird. Then, calling my sister
in-law from the table, and accom-
panied by her, | followed the bird. 1t
kept the path q very narrow one) as
before, until opposite the steps. There
it turned a right angle, and, after hop
ping a yard or two, jumped upon rose
bush and waited moment. Then it
few down the steps and kept the short
path which leads on to the drive. Once
upon the drive, its course was freer,
and it flew fluttering zigzag course,
close to the ground. The view to the
left was hidden by high hedge of
laurustinus, but after going down the
drive about twenty yards we were
free of this obstruction to the view,
and there in the grass, about ten yards
further, and exactly where | had
found him with the bird the day be-
fore, | saw my dog again. ] now un-
derstood what the bird wanted, and
bolted for the dog. (Which, sure enough,
had hold of the same young bird, or
another of the same nest. Again, quite
unharmed, | took it away, held it on
my finger, the mother lowering about,
and afterward placed it in the tree.
The distance trayersed was about
sixty yards, and the time from my first
hearing the call outside the door until
| reached the dog was at least five min
utes. The bird had evidently reasoned
that the man who rescued its young
the day before would do so again if he
could be called out. 1t knew, too, that
l must travel by paths, and so it never
left them. The terrace garden is
quite unfenced, and the direct line was
not in the direction of the steps. As
I have said, it was seven years ago, and
so some may think there is room for
questioning. But within a week had
told the story half dozen times, and
it had taken the set form in which It
is now given. I ought to say that the
dog had often been corrected for its
attempt to worry young rocks that
had fallen from the nests,"--London
Spectator.