The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-12
Remarkable RIrd story.


Among the most interesting of the many
striking animal stories related from time
to time by correspondents of the London
Spectator is this curious one of animal in
stlnct:
Il 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 is very much alike.
II was seven years ago that while walking
in the grounds about my house-Marie
Hall, Llandudno-now a cOnvalescent
home in the occupation of the BiTming
ham 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. Fol-
lowing their. movements l 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 at him with it's
wings. Going to the dog l found that it
held between its mouth and feet a young
thrush, fully iedged, but not quite able
to fly. I took the bird quite unframed,
from the dog, placed it in the bush, gave
the dog a little scolding, went my way
and thought no more about it.
Next morning, seated ar breakfast,
heard the ciuttering of bird outside a
door, which opens into a terrace garden.
This door is partially glazed, and looking
through l saw a thrush hopping about
close to it. 1 opened the door and walked
slowly forward. The bird hoped a yard
or so in front. l retraced my steps, walk
ing backward. The bird followed. Think
ing this might be mere coincidence, 1 re-
peated each movement. So did the bird
Then calling my sister-in-law from the
table, and accompanied by her 1 followed
the bird. It kept the path Ga very narrow
one) as before, until opposite the steps
There it turned a right angle and after
hopping a yard or two jumped upon a
rosebush and waited a moment Then it
flew down the steps and kept the short
path which leads on to the drive Once
upon the drive its course was freer, and
II flew futtering, zigzag course close 10
the ground
The view to the left was hidden by a
high ledge OF laurustinous, but after going
down the drive about twenty yards we
We're free of this obstruction to the view.
ard there in the grass, about ten yards
farther, and exactly where l had found
ham with the bird the day before, 1 saw
my dog again. l now understood 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 unframed, I took it away,
held il on my finger the mother lowering
| about and afterward placed it in the
tree.
1.-THE distance traversed was about six
ty yards and this time from my first hear
ing the call outside the door until I
reached the dog was at least five minutes.
The bird had evidently reasoned that the
man who rescued its young the day be-
fore would do so again if he could be
called out. 1t knew, too, that I 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. l ought to say that the dog had
| often been corrected for it's attempt TO
worry young rocks that had fallen from
| the nests.''