SELBORNIANA. 
*9 
Wild Berries and other Edible Fruits of Newfoundland and Labrador , by 
Rev. Arthur Waghorne : Mercury Office, St. John’s, Newfoundland. [Price io 
cents.] 
The Antiquary : Elliot Stock. [Price is. monthly.] 
The Bookworm : Elliot Stock. [Price 6d. monthly.] 
The Field Club : Elliot Stock. [Price 3d. monthly.] 
SELBORNIANA. 
Sympathy of Birds with their kind. — The Bishop of Wakefield sends 
us the following communication in reference to Miss Buckton’s article in the 
November No. of Nature Notes : — I can add a very pretty instance of sym- 
pathy of birds for other birds not closely related to themselves, which occurred 
in my own house. We had a large cage containing many various birds, and 
among them a male canary, and two little mannikins. The latter we thought 
highly uninteresting until one day I brought home a hen canary in a small cage, 
and introduced her into the somewhat mixed society of which she was to be a 
member. I am sorry to say her intended husband paid her no sort of attention, 
but the two little mannikins immediately went to the seed-vessel, and brought 
her seeds, feeding her with them in turn. This courtesy to the strange lady was 
very pretty. Plainly they thought she would not know where to find the seed. 
They never did this, or at least they were never seen to do this, after the first day. 
Wm. Walsham Wakefield. 
Evolution. — I have no doubt but that many of your readers will go with me 
in being gratified by your remark at the end of the article on the above-named 
subject in the November number of Nature Notes, viz., that you will gladly 
open your pages to any reply to it. I am not myself competent to offer 
such, having never studied the subject of Botany beyond having been very 
fond, when a boy, of collecting and drying wild plants ; but I think there 
are difficulties on the surface in the article referred to. It states that 
under changed circumstances one and the same plant can throw out leaves adapted 
to its new state. But if it has had these two capabilities already in one and the 
same individual existence, there is no new species involved. The question, I 
think, is, if the species under a change of conditions will produce a different form 
of leaf adapted to its changed state, will it or will it not, in its progeny, revert to 
its original form, if the old circumstances are recurred to? If so, it can be but 
one and the same species all through, endowed, from the first, with power to 
adapt itself to a new condition of existence. 
Nunburnhohne Rectory. ' F. O. Morris. 
The Eyes of Albino Birds. — The occurrence in the last number of two 
references to cases of albinism among birds encourages me to ask readers of 
Nature Notes for information on a point of some interest. It is well known that 
among the Mammalia an albino individual has pink eyes, and, judging from 
stuffed specimens, taxidermists evidently believe the same rule holds good among 
birds. This, however, appears to be by no means certain, and the records of any 
observations readers may have made on the subject would be valuable help 
towards settling an interesting biological question. 
Ealing. Anthony Belt. 
OFFICIAL NOTICES, &C. 
The object of the Selborne Society is to unite lovers of Nature for the follow- 
ing purposes : — 
The Prevention from unnecessary destruction of Wild Birds, Animals and 
Plants ; 
The Protection of places and objects of Antiquarian Interest or Natural 
Beauty ; 
The Promotion of the Study of Natural History. 
The minimum Annual Subscription (which entitles the subscriber to a 
monthly copy of the Society’s Magazine") is 2s. 6d. 
All^jarticulars as to membership may be obtained from the Secretary of the 
Selborne Society, 9, Adam Street, Adelphi. 
