1905. NICHOI.S. — Necrosis in a Lapwiiigs Foot. 33 



It has been suggested that the toe had been lost by an 

 accident, and that the bird had intentionally wound the wool 

 round the base of the toe to serve as a kind of bandage. 

 But, although birds have been credited with sufficient 

 intelligence to dress a wound or a broken limb (Mr. 1^. H. 

 de Visme Shaw, in " Snipe and Woodcock," ^ gives an extract 

 from the report of a lecture delivered by Professor Victor 

 Fatio before the Geneva Physiological and Natural History 



Injured Lapwing's Foot. 

 A. Front view B. Side view. 



b, c Sheep-wool. 



Society, in which he mentions several cases that he had noticed 

 of the Woodcock, when wounded, managing to make for itself 

 an ingenious dressing of feathers), this explanation of the 

 presence of the wool must be rejected in favour of the simpler 

 one of it having become accidentally entwined. 



^Fur, Feather, and Fin Series, Ivondon, 1903. 



