BY HON. A. NORTON, M.L.C. AT 
has been to select a tree suitable for the builder’s purpose. 
Around this a number of sticks are piled, the ends so over- 
lapping each other that the tree is surrounded completely, 
the curious edifice being kept in an upright position by the 
tree which supports it; shells and moss are freely used 
for ornamenting it. On and around this structure the 
birds collect and amuse themselves somewhat after the 
fashion of children when they play “ King of the Castle.’ 
The specimen in the Museum is about four feet in height, 
and two feet in diameter at the base. 
I will here quote one other case which seems to indicate 
a decided reasoning power in birds. I refer to the Laughing 
Jackass (Dracelo gigas). Commonly these birds, soon after 
daybreak, commence their day’s business by chanting, 
if I may so express it, their peculiar hymn of praise. Then, 
perched on a tree from which they have an uninterrupted 
view of the ground, they look thoughtfully round. Suddenly 
one of them swoops down, having caught sight of an earth- 
worm, which, after its noctuial wanderings, has begun 
to burrow itno the sand. It must not be supposed that 
Jackie clutches the worm with his little feet ; his feet are not 
made for that purpose, but with his strong beak he seizes 
the tail end of the worm, of which only an inch or two may 
be visible. Firmly he holds on, not trying to pull the worm 
back, for then it would break, and he would lose part of it. 
It is the worm that pulls, but to no effect ; thea it wriggles, 
and this brings a little more to the surface. The bird 
draws his head back enough to take in the slack, and the 
worm wriggles more, each time it wriggles coming back 
a little and the bird draws his head back further. At last 
the whole of the worm comes to the surface, and Jackie 
makes his early meal. The bird’s action and his delibera- 
tion supply him with the maximum amount of food which 
each worm can supply; may not this carefully planned 
scheme of his furnish us with food for reflection ? Are we 
to accept this illustration as evidence only of instinct, 
or must we treat it as the result of reason ? I am disposed 
to accept the latter alternative, not merely because of 
the evidence in that direction which the Laughing Jackass 
supplies, but because by following the subject further, 
the evidence of thought and of reasoning power in the in- 
ferior animals grows continually stronger. 
