700 
THE LUBRICATKJN OF BIKD.S. 
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Mdsx ofy^w^ir i-eaders have heard thati aquatic birds lubricatie theihii^^ 
selves with an oil, procured from a gland, situate near the rump, for 
the purpose of keeping their plumage impervious to the water. I 
jiia induced to take up this subject by the perusal of an able and in^- 
genious article from the pen of Mr. Waterton, published in the 
magazine of Natural History, for June last. Mr. W. in the above- 
mentioned article flatly denies that birds do anything of the sort 
and ascribes, as the reason of their constantly rubbing their bills up 
and down their feathers, that they are only cleaning themselves from 
the insects, &c. which infest them. It certainly is rather bold to at- 
tempt at one stroke to upset what Linnajus, Buffon, Montagu, Rennie, 
and a host of naturalists have advanced, and which has hitherto been 
considered a settled point, but I think Mr. W's reasons are so con- 
clusive that I am induced to coincide in this opinion. Mr. Water- 
ton's principal objections to birds lubricating themselves are 
That the bird could not extract the oil from the gland, without 
much pain, on account of the hardness of the bill, and the softness 
of the gland, i That the oil, even if extracted, would spoil the pltJ- 
mage. Mr. W. has tried this. - ■ > 
That the head and neck could not be anointed, and thatt!hes)B|paJ?is 
would require it as much as the others. ^ j-:><i I'biI ik>id/' ^i-joii 
To the first of these objections I am not inclined to giv^^rAtiiefe wei^frtl 
inasmuch as diiferent birds have different shaped bills, and until vou 
know whether the unctions fluid is discharged voluntarily or not, 
|iow can we judge whether any pain is caused to the bird or not. I 
i^afWfiht doubt whether the application of the hard bill of the' bird' ^ it*) 
the soft gland ivould cause any pain. 
Mr. Watexton has had ocular demonStriEitioin of the second objec- 
tion. [See his remai'ks.])' --nijq lydjo 'nil no -rji odj d^uuiijijj ,bujiiov 
The tliird objection, namd}y]'thrft'the bito/'»dihtoi«f^«i^ ^W^ 
bricatc at all, cannot apply the oil to the head and neck, iiot^S^i ^tlfci 
poitant, for no one can for u moment suppose that thciveiM' sIWaII 
quajiititydO'l oil- which coukl be obtained by rubbinglho neclfyidn the 
