a4 
obtained in the Spring of 1885 from a nest in the Perthshire 
Highlands, and was kept, at first, under constant notice in the 
writer’s study at Trinity College, Glenalmond: the chief obser- 
vations and experiments were made when the bird (referred to 
hereafter as ‘‘ Quilp’’) was from 3 to 8 months old. The following 
is an abstract of the diary, with some recently added notes. 
(July 8th, 1885.) Quilp has no perception of transparent 
mediums, and does not acquire this perception by long experience ; 
when shown pieces of meat under inverted tumblers he pecks 
straight at the meat when a lucky blow upsets the glass and he 
thus gets the meat he does not profit by this experience next 
time: shown water in a bottle he pecks straight at the water, and 
never attempts the proper entrance. (In November 1885 he has 
not learnt by continued experience to get at the meat by upsetting 
the tumbler. ) 
(July *10th.) A large looking glass was put on the floor. 
Quilp approached it at once and evidently saw the reflection. His 
fizst movement was gently placing his beak against the glass. — 
Then he preened himself and uttered low murmurs; he nestled 
close up against the glass and rubbed himself against the image. 
Then he crouched together and ruffled his feathers, like a robin on 
a cold day, and continually lifted his head, opening his beak and 
apparently straining with his throat—something between the 
retching of sea-sickness and the attempt to utter sounds under the 
influence of fear. He gradually got worse, huddling up against 
the glass and gaping and gasping with a peculiar moaning sound. 
Fearing he was going to have a fit the experiment was ended. 
(July 18th). Same experiment with same results, except 
that once he went behind the glass, but returned immediately ; when 
the glass was placed herizontally over him he suffered in the same 
way; as soon as the glass was removed he was quite happy. 
(July 14th). Quilp’s cage stands on a window-seat, 33 feet 
from the ground; a ladder has been made for him. It took an 
hour to persuade him to ascend it at first, and he would not trust 
himself to it until he had thoroughly tested its stability by explora- 
tory pecks. (By October he became quite obedient about the ladder 
and went up it when motioned, or told to do so). 
(July 15th). Experimented on the hiding instinct; it seems 
primarily connected with storing food. As soon as he has eaten 
sufficient, or if he is approached when eating, he fills the pouch 
in his beak with food, and hides the food under the fender, in a 
cricket bag, in the shadows of the furniture legs, among the hairs 
of a skin hearth-rug, or under the hearth-rug. Whenever he 
hides anything, he :nvariably picks up something to cover it with, 
sometimes a scrap of paper or some hairs from the hearth-rag; 
but more often just the very tiniest speck of dust. In his cage he 
hides meat in the corners and always picks up a grain of sand or a — 
