282 Glimpses of Mind in Birds. [May, 
ing, but now and then it happens among the berry and seed- 
eating species that they do not discriminate between wholesome 
and unhealthy food, and the result, very naturally, is sickness. 
I have known robins to be poisoned by eating belladonna berries, 
and sparrows to become “bewildered” by pecking at trash 
thrown from an apple-whisky distillery. These occurrences sug- 
gested a simple experiment with alcohol, and my victims were 
crows. While the ground was well covered with snow and the 
crows quite tame in consequence of the scarcity of food, I soaked 
some corn with alcohol and placed it where the birds readily 
found it. In a few minutes it was all devoured by four crows 
who, like Oliver Twist, were clamorous for more; but their 
clamor soon ceased. The ordinary intoxicating effects of alcohol 
soon began to show themselves, and stranger antics no silly par- 
rot ever yet performed. They gave way at first to loud and 
rapid talking, loud even for a crow; then, after vain endeavors 
to fly away and subsequent ones to rest upon the topmost rail of 
a neighboring fence, they gave themselves up to the most ludi- — 
crous, subdued mutterings, and finally turned gracefully over, fell 
from the fence, and lying in uneasy positions upon the snow 
soon became entirely*motionless, as profound slumber overcame 
them. The facts I desired I believe were obtained. The phys- 
iological effects of the alcohol proved to be the same as in man ; 
and I am convinced that we have an indication here of what is 
in all probability the case, that their brains are at least so far 
like our own that the normal operations of the organ are, too, of. 
identical character. Crotvs see with their eyes, they hear with 
their ears, and why deny that also they talk with their tongues 
and throats, and think with their brains? When we realize the 
full extent of the mental capabilities of birds, the mighty distance 
that ignorance has imagined lies between the brute creation and 
mankind becomes narrowed to a little space indeed. So, when 
we study mankind precisely as he is, and recall the semi-brutal 
state of prehistoric times, it is doing no violence to truth to see 
more of humanity in the less favored forms of life, and to admit 
that our own progress is still clogged by the traces of our former 
brute-like condition. Allied to the subject of intoxication 16 
that of permanent insanity. Does a functional or organic Gs 
ease of the brain ever occur in birds? Of course all reference 1 
to birds in a state of nature. We are all familiar with instances 
of birds in confinement that have apparently died of grief from 
the loss of their mates. * We have here a case of cerebral action 
