JUNE. 163 



board, the courage of the minnows returned. I do not think 

 that this case was a mere coincidence, notwithstanding 

 the fact that when I have introduced pike into aquaria 

 where there were small fishes, the latter never appeared 

 to show any fear. 



The only conclusion I am willing to express at this 

 time in the matter of recognition of pictorial representa- 

 tions of animals by animals is, that among our birds there 

 is a wide difference as to their intelligence, the more 

 knowing species being those most familiar with man ; and 

 in proportion as birds are thus familiar (their intelligence 

 being due to the familiarity), they are likely to recognize, 

 first, the similarity of a portrait to the object itself ; and, 

 second, to determine soon after its true character. This 

 is within the capability of a wren or a cat-bird, but beyond 

 that of a warbler or a whip-poor-will. 



I recently spent a steamy-hot June night in a neigh- 

 bor's house, and where I least expected to find birds 

 there they proved to be most abundant. I was desperately 

 tired, and it was not without some misgivings that I 

 climbed a dark box staircase, made scarcely visible by the 

 flickering home-made candle carried before me. As I 

 feared, the temperature was unbearable, and worse than 

 this, mosquitoes hummed ominously before I had set down 

 the light, wasps beat upon the window panes and gently 

 rasped the ceiling, and, as though this were not enough, 

 the chimney roared with the ceaseless stream of swifts that 

 were nesting in it. It needed not a glance at the huge 

 feather bed to know that my only object in entering the 

 room was an impossibility. I had no choice but to slip 

 off when all was quiet down-stairs, or to suffer torment 

 until morning. While debating the matter it occurred to 

 me that I might forget the surroundings by studying the 

 swifts in the chimney, and, more than partially disrobing, 



