1897.] Development of the Vertebral Column. 397 
Beside experimenting with insects, a series of experiments 
was conducted with the hope of ascertaining what fruits are 
preferred by catbirds. Equal volumes of cherries and mulber- 
ries were placed on the cork island, and at other times the ex- 
periment was repeated with strawberries in place of the cher- 
ries, and invariably the mulberries were selected. When there 
were any hopes of getting mulberries, the birds never touched 
strawberries or cherries. In the next experiment red and 
white mulberries were both put into the cage; the birds 
always took the red ones first. This last experiment showed 
that catbirds can distinguish colors. The whole series of ex- 
periments showed mulberries are preferred to cherries or straw- 
berries, hence it may be inferred that these two latter crops 
can be protected from catbirds by planting mulberries. This 
preference for mulberries could not be deduced from stomach 
examination alone, for the reason that mulberries are not com- 
mon in many places where catbird stomachs were collected. 
Experiments with other fruits would have been performed, if 
my birds had not been killed by a cat. 
In recapitulation I would say that in investigating the food 
of a bird, the first thing to be done is to examine enough 
stomachs to obtain a general idea of the bird’s food. After 
this has been done, one can intelligently go into the field and 
watch birds feeding. The different kinds of available food 
should be noted before collecting stomachs, then it will be 
possible to ascertain what the bird will eat, its preferences, 
and what it will refuse. 
DR. ALEX. GOETTE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ma 
VERTEBRAL COLUMN. 
By O. P. Hay, 
In “ Zeitschrift fiir wissenschaftliche Zoologie,” Vol. LXII, 
pp. 348-394, Dr. Alex. Goette has published a paper entitled 
“ Ueber den Wirbelbau bei den Reptilien und einigen anderen 
