TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 85 



Viper (F. bents), body 1 oz. 335 gra., brain f gr. Pisces : — Pike (E. Indus'), body 

 4 lbs. 6 ozs., brain 6 grs. Eel {A. vulgaris), body 3 lbs. 12 ozs., brain 1 gr. Cod 

 (G. morrhud), 20 lbs., brain 55 grs. Portbeagle Shark {L. cornubica), body 40 lbs., 

 brain 111 grs. Lamprey (P. marimts), body 3 lbs. 1 oz., brain 1 gr. 



In the bodies of the larger animals ounces and grains are omitted. 



From this, the first part of the paper, the author drew the following con- 

 clusions : — 



1. That the external form of the brain alone in most animals is to a great 

 extent an indication of the comparative amount of intelligence ; but to this rule 

 there are many exceptions, as in the examples of the Elephant, Dog, Seal, Hat, 

 Marmot, and many birds. 



2. That the same inference may be drawn from the covered or uncovered state 

 of the cerebellum, as instanced by the last-named vertebrates. 



8. That the number and figure of the convolutions are to some extent tolerable 

 indications of the amount of intelligence in Mammals: but to this rule there are 

 also many exceptions, as exemplified by a comparison of the brains of the Bats, 

 Capybara, Eats, Mice, Monotremes, and many others. 



4. That, looking to the weight of the brain and of the body in the 226 animals 

 enumerated in the Table, and carefully selecting aninials of the same class and size, 

 it is evident that the most intelligent mammals and birds have the largest brains, 

 and that there is no example of an animal with a relatively small brain that pos- 

 sesses a great amount of intelligence. 



As the views of the author may be misunderstood in the above abstract the fol- 

 lowing from the paper is added : — 



" As regards the number of the convolutions in relation to the amount of intelli- 

 gence, I believe that much error prevails upon this subject. As is well known, the 

 brains of Birds, Reptiles, and Fishes are without convolutions, and so with the 

 brains of many Mammals. If we look to the ascending scale of Mammals, be- 

 ginning with the 3Ionotrema(a and Marsupialia, we find some of these with a 

 greater abundance of convolutions than in the higher divisions ; thus the Bats 

 have smooth brains, and so have most of the Rodents ; many of the latter, the 

 Mouse, Rat, Beaver, and Marmot, possessing a great amount (comparatively) of 

 intelligence, whilst the Capybara, an animal with several cerebral convolutions, 

 is apparently one of the most stupid of the class. The brains of the Edentata are 

 smooth, whilst many of those of the Marsupiata are convoluted to a certain ex- 

 tent. Again, the Carnaria, Ruminantia, and Paehydermata are abundantly sup- 

 plied with convolutions, but many animals in these divisions are very delicient in 

 intelligence and docility." 



On the Food and Habits of the Mole, Sparrow, and of the Vcspidcc. 

 By Edwards Crisp, M.D. 



For many years the author has been endeavouring to ascertain, by numerous 

 examinations, the nature of the food of the mole and of the sparrow, and his 

 examinations at various seasons have been so numerous, amounting to a thousand 

 at least, of each of these animals, that he spoke with confidence respecting the 

 correctness of his conclusions. The mole can scarcely be called an insectivorous 

 feeder, for its food consists almost entirely of the common earth-worm. He had 

 never met with a wire-worm in the stomach of any mole that he had examined. 

 The sparrow is almost exclusively granivorous, and obtains insects chiefly for its 

 young; but these, when compared to the quantity of grain consumed, are very 

 limited. Of the dried gizzards of 100 young sparrows which were exhibited, it 

 was seen that but few contained insects. 



Hornets aud wasps do a vast deal of good by destroying insects in all stages of de- 

 velopment, as the author had an opportunity of seeing when he had kept the grubs 

 and perfect hornets under large bell-glasses. He had, moreover, had an oppor- 

 tunity of watching hornets through a crevice in the door of a pigeon's locker, in 

 which a nest was constructed, and the quantity of insect food consumed by these 

 generally despised robbers was immense. Tables of the examinations of moles 

 and sparrows at various seasons accompanied this paper. 



