. The bird . utomatism, a species of pendulum which sportswith life and thought ? Note that our observations were made on a captive, who workedin fatal and predetermined conditions of dwelling-place, nourishment,&:c. But how, if her action had been more evidently chosen, willed,and meditated ; if all this had transpired in the freedom of the forests,or she had had cause to disquiet herself about many other circum-stances which captivity enabled her to ignore ? I am thinkingespecially of the anxiety for security, which, for the bird in savagelife, is the foremost of aU cares, and which more tha
. The bird . utomatism, a species of pendulum which sportswith life and thought ? Note that our observations were made on a captive, who workedin fatal and predetermined conditions of dwelling-place, nourishment,&:c. But how, if her action had been more evidently chosen, willed,and meditated ; if all this had transpired in the freedom of the forests,or she had had cause to disquiet herself about many other circum-stances which captivity enabled her to ignore ? I am thinkingespecially of the anxiety for security, which, for the bird in savagelife, is the foremost of aU cares, and which more than anything elseexercises and develops her free genius. This first initiation into life, of which I have just given anexample, is followed by what I shall call the professional education;every bird has a vocation. This education is more or less arduous, according to the mediumand the circumstances in which each species is placed. That offishing, for instance, is simple enough for the penguin, which, in her. clumsiness, finds it difficult to conduct her brood to the sea; its greatnui-se attends the little one, and ofifers it the food all ready; it 270 EDUCATION. has but to open its bill. With the duck, this education or trainingis more complex. ± observed one summer, on a lake in Normandy,a duck, followed by her brood, giving them their first lesson. Thenurslings, riotous and greedy, asked but for food. The mother, yield-ing to their cries, plunged to the bottom of the water, reappearingwith some small worm or little fish, which she distributed impartially,never giving twice in succession to the same duckling! In this picture the most touching figure was the mother, whosestomach undoubtedly was also craving, but who retained nothing forherself, and seemed happy in the sacrifice. Her visible desire was toaccustom her family to do as she did, to dive vmder the water in-trepidly to seize their prey. With a voice almost gentle, she imploredthis action of courageous confidence. I had
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidbird00mi, booksubjectbirds
