VI INTELLIGENCE OF SPARROWS 235 



degree of prudence is evidence not for an instinctive fear in 

 them, having its origin in variation of the germ-plasm, but of 

 a high degree of capacity to reflect and draw conclusions — of 

 a high degree of intelligence. 



But the following observation on the mental capacities 

 of sparrows surprised me most ; it is a still more striking 

 example of the memory of birds than the case of the red-tail 

 previously described. 



Every year I require a large number of birds for the 

 zootomical studies of my students. As I am naturally 

 averse to sacrificing useful birds, I turned my attention first 

 of all to the sparrow, as the commonest among those of our 

 birds which do far more harm than good, although our laws 

 — I might say in an almost incredible way — still protect 

 them. One day I read in an agricultural paper the advertise- 

 ment of a trap with which twelve or more sparrows could be 

 caught at a time. That was what I wanted. I sent for one 

 of these traps. It consists of a wire -basket of cylindrical 

 shape, about 18 in. high, and the same in diameter, the upper 

 end forming a funnel-shaped tube projecting inwards towards 

 the bottom of the basket. It is constructed, therefore, after 

 the fashion of the glass ink-pots which may be upset without 

 spilling the ink, and like certain mouse- and rat-traps or fish- 

 traps. When the animals have passed through the funnel 

 into the trap, on the bottom of which bait is strewn, they 

 cannot find the way out again. 



The result of the use of my trap was surprising : almost 

 immediately quite a dozen sparrows were caught in it. 

 These were brought away as carefully as possible, so that 

 none were taken out in sight of their companions. The trap 

 was again set, and this time nine sparrows were caught 

 equally quickly. I was very pleased with the invention, 

 for it seemed likely to put an end for the future to all my 

 difficulties. But it was to be otherwise. I noticed already 



