Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 6 (1902).djvu/309

Rh of the first family were ready to fly. The hen then went and inspected the second home, and, finding it comfortable, took no further notice of her young family, which were reared by their father whilst their mother incubated a second clutch of eggs. It is possible that this may be a not unusual plan among wild Finches, and it would be interesting if owners of large aviaries would look into it carefully.

Touching these Goldfinches, there was another point worthy of note in disproof of Charles Dixon's belief. Although they were wild-caught birds, they built their nests on the floor of a converted travelling Canary-cage hung upon the wires at the back of the aviary, not in a bush or on a branch, as they might have done. I have noticed the same changed habit in the case of the Grey Singing Finch (Serinus leucopygius). The Hartz travelling-cage is prepared by removing the perches, food-trough, and water-pot, putting in a solid floor, and pulling out two of the short uprights from one end to leave a small entrance-hole; and it struck me that the Finches may have preferred this easily defended position for their nests to the exposure of bush or branch; otherwise there seems no explanation for their change of habit. Birds undoubtedly think and reflect, or they would often be in a bad way. No doubt many of the marvellously protected nests formed by tropical birds are the result of the experimental and reflecting thoughts of the architects through many successive generations.

At the commencement of this article I spoke of the improvement of the intellect in birds when hand-reared, due to their constant association with man. This is frequently shown in the remarkable manner in which they engage naturally in games. I have had both a Pied Wagtail and a Canary (hand-reared), which, without teaching, correctly played the game of "Hide-and-seek," hiding up when we were out of the room, and, on our return, taking no notice of our calls until we had discovered the lost one, when it immediately called out like a child, and ran or flew to meet us. Our Wagtail also played a game somewhat resembling "Touch," as follows:—Three or four persons seated themselves at different parts of the dining-room table, and then the cage-door was opened. The Wagtail flew to the middle of the table, and glanced from one person to the other; then one