NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
77 
moles, the latter seldom venturing on surface snow, and leaving a peculiar trail. 
But few people apparently understand these marks. A neighbour informed me a 
fox had crossed his field. I went and examined it, and instead I found it was a 
hug-tailed field mouse. 
The IVren's Nest, James IIiam. 
Astivood Bank, Worcestershire. 
Instinct in Birds. — In the current number of the “ Magazine of the 
Selborne Society,” there appears a short but interesting note of an observation 
made by Mr. E. G. Wood, on some of his caged American blue birds and 
canaries, in which he describes their alarm felt, and the symptoms of fear evinced 
by them on the detection in the immediate neighbourhood of their keep, of 
kestrels. 
But as this note appears under the heading of “ Instinct in Birds,” it at once 
recalled to my mind an incident which, if not exactly similar in circumstances, 
may be opportune yet for some reflections on the term “ Instinct,” to which I 
myself had recourse when trying to ascribe the necessary explanation to the 
following case. 
A few years ago, when in Australia, I bought in the market a young galah 
(Cacatua roseicapilla). The bird w'as brought up and kept in a cage generally 
indoors, and grew quite confident in its surroundings and used to tire other 
domestic inmates. On one evening, however, after about two years, for then 
unaccountable reasons, it suddenly betrayed all the signs of great fright and 
alarm by trembling and general agitation. I at once looked about for a 
possible stray cat or other unwelcome intruder, but failed to discover any' such 
object of natural danger to a bird. This paroxysm lasted a considerable time, 
and then it would cease equally mysteriously. Upon its being repeated again, I 
tried to follow the direction of the bird’s scared looks, and then, to my astonish- 
ment, I discovered the imaginary foe. My wife, while reading in a book, had on 
this occasion for the first time made use, as a mark, of a fragment of the dried 
skin of a snake which had been aliout somewhere. Whenever then, she accident- 
ally put it out of sight the bird becalmed itself, and vice versa was thrown into 
that state of alarm on its re-appearance. But what was really noticeable was that 
the bird never became reconciled with this object for the four years it lived. It 
died by having contracted fowl-diphtheria. 
I very naturally attributed this circumstance to “ Instinct ” purely, and no 
doubt I was well entitled to be content with this opinion, when later I purchased 
another young bird of the same species as soon as they made their appearance in 
the market, in December. 
But, strange to relate, this bird at no time evinced the slightest sign of 
discomfort on the sight of the dreaded object referred to, although it is still in 
use and close proximity of the bird to this day. It might be argued that this 
may be due to individual disposition, but on comparing notes since betw'een this 
last bird and its predecessor, I certainly came to the conclusion that this must be 
undoubtedly a case of “parental tuition, or a nest-lesson,” which the first bird 
had received, when I consider now that I Irought it late in January, and it was 
older by a month at least than the second, which was little more than a helpless 
nestling when I procured it. It is clear that it never could have had an 
opportunity of getting acquainted with the dangerous nature of a snake, and knew 
nothing of their existence. 
I do not know whether or not similar conditions appertain to Mr. Wood’s 
cage-birds as regards their rearing in cages or being captured, which might throw- 
further light on the subject ; but, at any rate, I am very thankful to him for the 
opportunity his note has afforded me in mentioning an observation which in all 
probability I should have forgotten. 
45, Couiger Road, Fulham. J. J. E. Degan. 
J amtary 8, 1900. 
The Coming Migrants. — Next month will be a busy time with the 
arrival and nesting of our summer migrants. May I ask others to keep diaries 
