Serrated Claws of the Common Heron.—In 'The Zoologist' for January (p. 38), Mr. Stanley Lewis expresses disappointment at his inability to find in my 'Manual of British Birds' any "mention of the serrated claws of this species." If he turns to the Introduction, p. xxv, be may read that one of the distinctions of the genus Ardea—and, indeed, of the whole family Ardeidæ—is: "Middle claw pectinated on the inner edge." In a condensed work, in which every line and almost every word had to be counted, it would have been a waste of space to repeat this in the description of each of the ten species of Herons and Bitterns which find a place in the British list. As for the use of this pectination, upon which Mr. Lewis invites an expression of opinion, I can only say that "the bearing—of the small-toothed comb—lies in its application."—Howard Saunders.
ORGANIC EVOLUTION.
Remarks relating to Mimicry.—In Mr. C.A. Witchell's interesting "Stray Notes on Mimicry" (ante, p. 32), one or two of the facts cited in illustration of his views seem hardly to meet the case, or at least to be open to comment. For instance, referring to a suggested tendency with animals "to resemble things that they like, be those things mates or surrounding substances," the writer proceeds as follows:—"I am aware that the sexual passion is not credited with this effect, but we know that breeders of prize poultry are careful to keep their male birds from running with birds not of the same variety, because if they do they will 'throw' feathers like those of their companions. I have seen this occur in a well-bred East Indian drake that ran with a white Duck."[1] It is not at all unusual for black Ducks, whatever their companions or surroundings may be, to become, after their first or second year, more or less speckled with white. On a farm where black Ducks only (a cross between Cayuga and East Indian) were kept for many years in succession, this was a common occurrence. The process is a very gradual one. After about the second or third moult a white feather or two is noticed about the head, and at each succeeding moult more white appears, this speckling or splashing gradually increasing and spreading itself over the whole of the bird's plumage. No other Ducks were kept on the farm, nor were there any white fowls. Again, with respect to the Snake-like hissing noise made by certain nesting birds, the following remarks occur;—"For a bird will hiss when on the nest, and at no other time, and which has yet never seen a Snake, or apparently never heard it hiss; such is a town-bred fowl or duck." Sitting Ducks certainly hiss in an unmistakable manner at an intruder, but, extensive as is the vocabulary of the domestic fowl, I do not remember ever hearing either a town or
- ↑ The italics are mine.
