Change of Habit due to War 
Barrage’’ anti-aircraft gun-stations. ‘‘ The 
beastly bird learnt to imitate the alarm whistle 
to a nicety,”’ said the gun commander; “‘on 
several occasions he turned me out in pyjamas 
and, when the crew had manned the gun, 
gave vent to a decided chuckle’’ (Evening 
Standard, 18.vi.18). The Cocks and HENs 
of a French farmyard are said to have learned 
to make a noise exactly like that of a falling 
“dud” shell, and it would indeed prove a 
valuable addition to Darwin’s instances of 
domestic instincts if this imitation could be 
shown to be transmitted as a fixed habit in 
the HEN’s progeny (Times, 29.v.16). It is 
conceivable that birds bred within the battle 
area and reared amongst all the turmoil of 
war may have acquired an innate indifference 
to terrific noises which they may impart to 
their progeny, successive generations of which 
might be expected, if wars continue, to be- 
come progressively more indifferent to their 
abnormal conditions. But this conception, 
which is without any substantiation by ex- 
perience, has still to be proved. 
SEA-GULLS, rendered ravenous by hard 
157 
