300 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE 
before the tongue should force the contents of the 
mouth on towards the pharynx. 
Can we not, then, conclude that the forcing of accept- 
able food and drink into the pharynx is not “instinctive,” 
but is the result of a series of satisfactory discoveries 
of the young bird, which lead up to the placing of the 
food where it will bring about the stimulation of the 
reflex centre of the gullet, and the accomplishment of 
the final act of swallowing ?—a series which is intelli- 
gently adopted by the bird, and improved by practice. 
It is perhaps well, before closing, to revert to the 
peculiar habit of the bird in snapping at falling drops. 
From the first, the attention was markedly attracted by 
flying insects, and any small objects in motion seemed 
to have a peculiar charm, From this fact I am inclined 
to think that the seizing of drops was no more than the 
striking at moving objects, though it is possible that 
the adult habitually takes water on the wing by seizing 
falling drops of dew or rain. 
