CEREBRAL DEVELOPMENT OF BIRDS. 91 



Let us take a third instance of birds nearly allied, which 

 manifest differences in their migratory propensities. The 

 robin ( Erythacus Rubecula ) and the wheatear ( Saxicola 

 (Enanihe ) have skulls as nearly as possible similar to each 

 other. The former, however, as is well known, remains 

 with us during the whole year, while the latter departs in 

 autumn, and returns in spring. Do we find this indicated 

 by the form of the cranium or the shape of the brain, as 

 the phrenologists try to persuade us is the case ? Assuredly 

 not. The form of the skull is exactly similar at the situa- 

 tion of the organs in question. 



The peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus J, as its name de- 

 notes, is remarkable for its wandering disposition ; though 

 by no means a migratory bird, yet it has been found at sea 

 midway between this country and the New World ;* and 

 an individual which escaped from confinement at Fountain- 

 bleau, was found next day at Malta, a distance of 1350 

 miles.t The organ of Locality, then, ought to be very large 

 in this species, as one of its attributes is the propensity to 

 w T ander. But this is very far from being the case ; it is 

 even smaller (relatively) than in the kestrel (F, Tinnuncu- 

 lusj, which is a stationary bird. A migratory species J of 

 the same genus, the pigeon hawk of North America, (F. co~ 

 lumbarius), has a development exactly similar to that of 

 our kestrel, although the difference in habits is immense. 



I had occasion shortly to allude to the wandering pro- 

 pensities of the peregrine falcon, but there are other birds 

 which show the same tendency in a still greater degree. 



* Audubon's Ornithological Biography, vol. i. p. 88. 



■f Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary by Rennie, p, 183. 



£ Audubon's Synopsis, p. 16. 



