66 The American Naturalist. [January, 
of Saint Bertin. In spite of my presence he tried to carry off his 
daily meal, but I struck him with my hands and made him drop his 
prey. I then put my lapwings in their cage, as I was expecting to go 
out after dinner. What was my astonishment on going to see my 
birds in the evening to find the sparrow-hawk keeping them company 
in the cage. He had forced himself in through the bars but could 
not get out in the same way, and so was a prisoner with the lapwings, 
which he had not, as yet, dared to touch. The hawk was a young 
male, and now forms a part of my natural history collection.” 
Two other citations show that birds can familiarize themselves with 
objects which ordinarily terrify them. 
“The jackdaws (Corvus monedula) and barn-owls (Strix flammea) 
are very numerous in all the towers of Saint-Omer; they are so accus- 
tomed to the noise of the clocks that they build their nests against the 
clappers. 
“Last year I saw a nest of a titmouse (Parus major) built in a 
little mill that children played with in a garden. This noisy scare- 
crow, turning with every wind, did not frighten the saucy birds, 
and they reared their young with comfort. 
“ I now give two observations of another sort that prove beyond a 
doubt that birds possess a memory : 
“Thad in the country two domestic peafowls (Pavo domesticus) ; 
they were accustomed to come every evening to get their slice of bread 
cut in small bits before perching themselves on the roof; and if they 
were forgotten they would wait nearly all night before abandoning all 
hope of the treat. They were so tame that the male, as well as the — 
female, would eat from our hands. After I had gone to the city, in 
order to keep the peafowls out of the garden, where, it is well known, 
they cause great havoc among the vegetables, the berries, and the cur- _ 
rants, they were given corn in abundance in a place quite remote, but — 
they declined these overtures and returned constantly to the place — 
where I had fed them; I found them there on my return the following — 
year. During the summer the female laid ten eggs, a less number — 
than usual; nine young chicks were born, which, following the exam- — 
ple of their parents, came every evening to look for their repast. i 
_ “During the winter a storm, accompanied by a fall of snow, burst _ 
upon us during the night, and the unfortunate peafowls were thrown — 
from their perch on the roof; some wandering dogs strangled them, — 
and we found their remains scattered over the field. : 
“T have at this time two laughing gulls (Larus ridibundus) living. 
I give them twice a day, at regular hours, bits of meat. Some jack- 
