August 19, 1898.] 



SGIENGE. 



223 



to London and Berlin, the population of Lon- 

 don within the municipal area was 4,200,000, 

 and there were 25,724 instruments, while in 

 Berlin, with a population of 1,578,794, there 

 were 36,620 instruments. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL NEWS. 



The University of Chicago has established a 

 College for Teachers, which has been endowed 

 by Mrs. Emmons Blaine with $250,000. 



Professor W. Le Conte Stevens, of the 

 Eensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has accepted 

 the chair of physics in Washington and Lee 

 University. 



Dr. Cleveland Abbe, Jr., has resigned a 

 fellowship in the Teachers College, Columbia 

 University, to accept a chair in Western Marj'- 

 land College, Westminster, Maryland. Dr. C. 

 C. O'Hara has been elected professor of geology 

 and mineralogy in the South Dakota School of 

 Mines. Mr. Wm. H. Butts and Mr. A. W. 

 Whitney have been appointed instructors in 

 mathematics in the University of Michigan. 



Dr. Zograp has been elected extraordinary 

 professor of zoology, and Dr. Mrensbier, extra- 

 ordinary professor of comparative anatomy in 

 the University of Moscow. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 

 observations on blue jays. 



To THE Editor of Science : The nest of an 

 English sparrow was broken up, and four 

 fledglings, nearly ready to fly, were thrown to 

 the ground. A blue jay seized on one and 

 devoured it. One young sparrow was then 

 placed in the nest of the blue jay — presumably 

 the same — along with its own young, and was 

 tolerated, but not fed, by the parent jays. On 

 the second day, however, I observed the jay 

 once feed, perhaps by mistake, the sparrow. 

 For two days the parent sparrows watched 

 their chance when the old jays were away from 

 the nest and came hastily and fed their sparrow, 

 but not the young jays. On the third day the 

 young sparrow flew away from the jay's nest. 



While a single incident can hardly form the 

 basis for generalization, yet, as has been sug- 



gested to me, the origin of rites of hospitality 

 may be hinted at here. A blue jay devours a 

 a young sparrow outside its nest, but tolerates 

 and may even adopt the sparrow placed in its 

 nest. Once within the home nest there is a 

 certain hospitality, which biologically means 

 protection to its own young, for the jay 

 might readily acquire a habit of devouring Its 

 own young, if the nest-life did not mean protec- 

 tion. We may surmise that the right of hos- 

 pitality has its biological significance as a home 

 protection act of the greatest service to the 

 species. 



The nest was studied through a telescope 

 placed in a window, and as the eye was brought 

 within a few inches of the nest without disturb- 

 ing the birds, a little foliage having been re- 

 moved, a very close study was possible. The 

 male often turned food over to the female to be 

 given to the young. With one beakful several 

 young were fed, the beak being thrust far down 

 the throat and a portion of the food pinched 

 oif, and then another portion pinched off in 

 another's throat. The excreta were constantly 

 removed, in one case the parent taking excreta 

 directly issuing from the young. The parent 

 sometimes took excreta far into the mouth and 

 held it for some minutes. The jay often stands 

 on the nest half brooding, and in full brooding 

 it slips its feet to the bottom of the nest with 

 exceeding deftness. A common warning cry is 

 sharp metallic moui, moui, in energetically pro- 

 ducing which the jay sways his body up and 

 down, vibrating its perch. In excitement it 

 pecks aimlessly at its perch. 



The telescopic method might well be used in 

 getting complete studies of nest life. From a 

 house window, or from a platform in a tree, a 

 continuous study of nesting could be made and 

 experiments tried for instinct and intelligence. 

 Certainly for psychological study the method is 

 invaluable, since it gives the close unhampered 

 observation of expression which is the only key 

 to the mind of the bird. A binocular magnify- 

 ing about fifty times would be generally con- 

 venient, though higher and lower powers would 

 often be useful. Leaves, etc., which screen the 

 nest at the point desired, should be removed at 

 night. A powerful glass might reveal the home 

 life of eagles, vultures and beasts of prey. As 



