430 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



" Our Obligations to Wild Animals" is the subject of a communication, 

 by Sir Herbert Maxwell, to the August number of ' Blackwood's Magazine.' 

 This article prompts much consideration, and is well worthy of the most 

 careful perusal. Sir Herbert early starts with the postulate, " that animals, 

 whatever we may feel to be our obligations towards them, have no rights, 

 except such as human legislation has conferred upon them." All our anxiety 

 for animal welfare is on this argument utilitarian. " It has been recognised 

 that without song-birds this world would be a far less desirable place of 

 abode ; without insectivorous birds, a far less profitable place for farmers 

 and gardeners ; without birds of brilliant plumage or graceful form and flight, 

 a much less interesting place to spend a holiday. Therefore the legislature 

 has undertaken to protect Nightingales, as long as they do not forget their 

 melody, and do not exchange a diet of caterpillars for one of wheat and 

 strawberries ; and Swallows, as long as they skim about in their own 

 enchanting way, and confine their voracity to insect life." . . . . " The 

 doctrine of Aristotle that ' animals have no rights,' has been reaffirmed 

 lately under authority of the Church of Rome, and applied in a manner 

 which makes every humane heart burn with indignation. The Pope, if he 

 is correctly interpreted, has lent his official sanction to the abominable 

 maxim that it is contrary to the principles of true religion to legislate for 

 the well-being of animals, and an infringement ot the rights of Christians." 

 The writer, however, though no anti-vivisectionist, is a good sportsman, a 

 class we thoroughly believe is " hardly ever indifferent to the welfare and 

 comfort of the animals which serve him"; and, again, the contention 

 seems thoroughly sound, that, " to deal rightly and considerately with 

 animals, wild and domestic, the emotions must have their due influence ; 

 the heart must be tender, but it must not rule the head." 



" On the Affinities of the Enterochromes " is the subject of a commu- 

 nication, by Marion J. Newbigin, in the ' Zoologischer Anzeiger ' (No. 593). 

 The authoress had previously suggested the name of Enterochrome for 

 green pigments in Invertebrates, and had pointed out the difficulties in 

 the way of the supposition that these pigments are identical with plant 

 chlorophyll. Recently Dr. McNunn has also been re-investigating these 

 pigments, and has come to the conclusion that they are derivatives of 

 chlorophyll, and are produced by the action of the digestive ferments on 

 the chlorophyll of the food. This prompted Miss Newbigin to renewed 

 experiments, the results of which, taken in conjunction with the recent 

 observations and conclusions of Dr. McNunn in the case of entero- 

 chlorophyll, and with the fact that that pigment occurs in the faeces of 

 Patella, seem " to justify the conclusion that enterochlorophyll at least 



