kites, which give the eagle a regular chase as soon as they see it in possession of a good prey.  The kites will also give chase to the swift fishing-hawk, and rob it of the fish it has captured; but no one ever saw the kites fighting together for the possession of the prey so stolen.  On the Kerguelen Island, Dr. Coues saw the gulls to Buphogus—­the sea-hen of the sealers—­ pursue make them disgorge their food, while, on the other side, the gulls and the terns combined to drive away the sea-hen as soon as it came near to their abodes, especially at nesting-time.(18) The little, but extremely swift lapwings (Vanellus cristatus) boldly attack the birds of prey.  “To see them attacking a buzzard, a kite, a crow, or an eagle, is one of the most amusing spectacles.  One feels that they are sure of victory, and one sees the anger of the bird of prey.  In such circumstances they perfectly support one another, and their courage grows with their numbers."(19) The lapwing has well merited the name of a “good mother” which the Greeks gave to it, for it never fails to protect other aquatic birds from the attacks of their enemies.  But even the little white wagtails (Motacilla alba), whom we well know in our gardens and whose whole length hardly attains eight inches, compel the sparrow-hawk to abandon its hunt.  “I often admired their courage and agility,” the old Brehm wrote, “and I am persuaded that the falcon alone is capable of capturing any of them....  When a band of wagtails has compelled a bird of prey to retreat, they make the air resound with their triumphant cries, and after that they separate.”  They thus come together for the special purpose of giving chase to their enemy, just as we see it when the whole bird-population of a forest has been raised by the news that a nocturnal bird has made its appearance during the day, and all together—­birds of prey and small inoffensive singers—­set to chase the stranger and make it return to its concealment.

What an immense difference between the force of a kite, a buzzard or a hawk, and such small birds as the meadow-wagtail; and yet these little birds, by their common action and courage, prove superior to the powerfully-winged and armed robbers!  In Europe, the wagtails not only chase the birds of prey which might be dangerous to them, but they chase also the fishing-hawk “rather for fun than for doing it any harm;” while in India, according to Dr. Jerdon’s testimony, the jackdaws chase the gowinda-kite “for simple matter of amusement.”  Prince Wied saw the Brazilian eagle urubitinga surrounded by numberless flocks of toucans and cassiques (a bird nearly akin to our rook), which mocked it.  “The eagle,” he adds, “usually supports these insults very quietly, but from time to time it will catch one of these mockers.”  In all such cases the little birds, though very much inferior in force to the bird of prey, prove superior to it by their common action.(20)