NOTES. 259 



food remained between the flanges uneaten. The anterior 

 portion of the palate was also irresponsive when the mouth 

 was open. On the other hand, when the food was placed on 

 the tongue and especially on its posterior part, deglutition 

 followed instantly. 



It is well-known that children, when they put pennies or 

 other articles in their mouths, are extremely prone to swallow 

 them. They '• slip over without thinking." And the attempt 

 to keep a sweetmeat on the back of the tongue until it dissolves 

 away excites an almost irresistible desire to swallow. In man, 

 as a rule, swallowing is done consciously or sub-consciously. 

 The two examples given are cases of excitement of the reflex 

 act of deglutition, in the one unconsciously, in the other 

 consciously, it is true, but against the will. 



It is a far cry from the children of men to the nestlings of 

 birds, but there can be little risk in saying that the act of 

 swallowing in chicks, say less than six days old, is an un- 

 conscious one, and that it owes its initiation to a stimulus 

 acting on a place which has been set apart for the pui'pose by 

 use and wont. That place seems to be the tongue, and 

 especially the posterior part of it. 



Hence the spots on the tongue, when present, may direct 

 the parents to drop the food where the act of swallowing will 

 be excited most rapidly. That spots should occur on the 

 palate does not seem to invalidate this view, because in the 

 narrow throat of the nestling food dropped on the rear portion 

 of the palate can hardly fail to come into contact with the 

 tongue and at once excite the act of swallowing. 



J. M. Dewar. 



THE FOOD OF THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 



In your November issue there is a short notice of our report 

 to the Cumberland County Council on the " Food of the 

 Black-headed Gull." As the writer has made one or two 

 mistakes therein we would be glad if you will correct the 

 same in your next issue. 



L We do not in any part of the report use such an 

 indefinite term as " shellfish," but give the various classes of 

 animals taken by the bird as food under their proper heads 

 in Table D of the report as either fishes, mollusca, or Crustacea. 



2. Mr. Pycraft also comments on our recommendation to 

 the County Council (not our " decision," as he is pleased to 

 call it). Our reason for making this recommendation is 

 clearly stated, viz., abnormal increase ; and surely Mr. Pycraft 

 knows that if one species increases abnormally it is at the 

 expense of other, and perhaps better, species, the food supply 



