“Instinct” and “Reason”

Abstract

A FEW facts came under my observation during the spring of this year that strikingly illustrate this subject. A pair of blackbirds built a nest on the top of my garden wall, which is thickly covered with ivy and within three yards of the drawing-room window. When the young birds were about three parts fledged one of them by some mishap left the nest and fell into the flower garden. My cat (seven years old, and which has killed scores of small birds) immediately found it, and at the same time a kitten (about three months old, but not belonging to the cat) began to pay rather rude attentions to the young blackbird, and would have used it as kittens are wont, but the old cat would not suffer her to touch it. The cause of this was the old cock blackbird, being aware of the peril of its young, made a great noise and kept flying here and there around the scene of action, crying and scolding with might and main. It then became evident to me that the cat had two or three objects in view, and a purpose to gain. Firstly, not to allow the kitten to touch, or kill, or make off with the young bird. Secondly, to use the young bird as a decoy to entrap the old one. Thirdly, to make the young bird cry sufficiently from fear or pain to induce the parent's affection to overcome its discretion.