3o6 



The virus, which is known couiinercially as the " Liverpool 

 Virus," is prepared in the Bacteriological Laboratories attached 

 to the University of Liverpool, and can be obtained through 

 any druggist. 



BIRDS AS SURGEONS.— Would that all popular fallacies 

 could be nipped in the bud as effectively as has been done by the 

 able Editor of The Coiiniry Side \\\i\i ves^eict to this subject! 

 From liis issue of January 13th I quote the following:— "A 

 little while ago a paragraph headed ' A Partridge's Sagacity ' 

 appeared in a provincial paper, and was copied into other 

 journals. 'The bird,' the account said, 'had hurt its leg and 

 had covered the wound with a mass of feathers, probably taken 

 from its own breast, carefully laying them on in such a way 

 that the soft fluffy portions rested on the injured part and the 

 stiff quills pointed outwards.' We have been fortunate enough 

 to obtain a photograph of this bird, which was shot at Osborne, 

 near Selborne ; and as anyone can see, the supposed example 

 of a bird's sagacity in rendering ' first aid' to itself is merely 

 the result of the body feathers sticking by their outer tips to 

 the wound every time the partridge squatted to rest the injured 

 limb. Drying blood is almost as stick}' as birdlime, and dried 

 blood holds like glue; so, of course, some feathers were drawn 

 out ever}' time the bird rose from a squatting position, at the 

 same time probabl}' causing the wound to bleed afresh, so that 

 more feathers would be taken at the next halt." 



In an editorial note he speaks of the above as a good 

 illustration of the way in which we are apt to acquire false 

 notions, and deprecates such "jumping to conclusions" as 

 tending to imbue thousands of readers with wrong ideas. " It 

 is the circulation ot tales like this which makes it so difficult 

 for the average reader to get a proper understanding of 

 nature." In this I heartily agree with Mr. E. Kay Robinson. 



IS EGG NEEDFUL ?— My colleague, Mr. 53. M. Towseud, 

 tells me that none of his birds have had any for three years. 

 In spite of this he seems to shew the same specimens again 

 and again, without needing to create a corner in the bird 

 market to nmintain his position. 



W. Giio. CRESWRi:,r,. 



