1883.] 433 [Waters 



of Hyla Pickeringii, by Miss Mary H. Hinckley j 1 and the devel- 

 opment of Thalassemia, by H. W. Conn (Walker Prize Essay). 



General Meeting, October 17, 1883. 



Vice-President, Mr. F. W. Putnam, in the chair. Twelve per- 

 sons present. 



Dr. C. S. Minot discussed the histology of the skin of insects, 

 pointing out the homologies of the different layers in the arthro- 

 pods and vertebrates. 



Dr. G. F. Waters spoke of two observations he had made long 

 ago showing that birds possess the sense of taste, and cautiously 

 exercise it before swallowing anything new to them. 



Thirty years ago whilst working one spring in my garden, in Waterv'lle, 

 Me., I observed a hen peck at something white upon the ground in such a 

 halting way as to suggest the idea that she was in doubt as to what it was. 

 She seemed to be tasting of it, taking a little of the substance in her mouth, 

 then holding her head up would partly close her eyes and open and shut 

 her mouth slowly at first then quite rapidly — this was repeated four or five 

 times, when she began to eat ravenously as though she had been without 

 food for a long time. My curiosity was aroused and I at once went to see 

 what she had found. It was in a part of my garden where hens were not 

 allowed to stray and generally at my approach she would have left for her 

 permitted quarters, yet this time she did not stir but only eat the faster and 

 as I took hold of her tried to get more. The substance proved to be part 

 of a large potato which had remained in the ground during the winter, 

 which had been open, and repeated freezings and thawings had turned the 

 starch of the potato to sugar. 



The same year I obtained some young hawks from the nest and brought 

 them up by hand. They were in the habit of taking their food from my 

 fingers. I bought fish, frogs, and beef-liver for them. The liver was cut 

 into strips from three to five inches long which they always swallowed just 

 as I gave it to them never breaking it up for convenience sake. I used to 

 feed them early in the morning, and after I began my garden work. If no 

 food, fish, frogs, or liver had been provided, I took my garden fork and dug 

 a few earth worms for them. At first I gave the worms to them from my 

 fingers, but in a little while they began to help themselves, picking them up 

 quite fast, just as hens and chickens will. When they began to slacken in 

 1 See Memoirs B. S. N. H.,m, No. 10. 



PROCEEDINGS B. S. N. H. VOL. XXII. 28 JUNE, 1884. 



