SCRAPS OF NATURAL HISTORY

Press, Volume L, Issue 15017, 11 July 1914, Page 8

SCRAPS OF NATURAL HISTORY

(BY CANTERBFBr.) (SPECIALLY VrcUTTEN FOB "THE PRESS.")

134. BIRD SURGERY. Extraordinary as the idea may seem at first suggestion, many . naturalists apparently are convinced that certain birds, if not all, trill endeavour to repair the injury of a shot wound or accidental harm, by a rough self-surgery -which unfortunately is the only means at theiV command. For myself. I had previously settled private doubts upon the subject by imagining that the plaster-like effect sometimes noticeable in such cases was due to a. natural matting down of tho feathers on the blocd issuing from the wound, but now there is important evidence that seems to put the matter ueyond the stretch of chance. A .bscuesion between several authorities hi-s ended in the birds gaining credit for so .much moro of instinct or reasonii-g rower. * • The snipe and woodcock chiefly have furnished instances ot this remarkable self-surgery, but in my own experienco 1 have seen it as practised by a Califoruian quail, a sparrow, and a thrush. The quail had received , a wound—presumably from a shot —on the joint of tho right foot, just where the long toe begins, and covering the whole jointvvas a hardened mixture of mud, blood and feathers. At the time, I explained tho circumstance to myself in this way : "The mud has caked over tho place luckily, while the or thing was trying to Ret about, and when resting tho foot was nestled in among the feathers, some of which stuck to it and were pulled out." Only one trifle was rather puzzling; in the ordinary course the foot would hive been in contact with troast feathers, while those helping to cover the wound had come from higher irp on tho top of the Tring. The injury wae fairly new, aud only half healed when the ill-fated quail had made a last meal of so/ne poisoned wheat, thrown out for the email birds near a stack.

The sparrow had come by a more serious hurt of the same description, and though tho wound had healed under tho caking of mud surrounding it, -. couple of the toes were dry and! withered, and very probably would havo droppod apart. Once shot, twice 6hot;, and so an end of the unlucky sparrow. Likewise the thrush, who nust have' been the mark of a long -range cartridge, for a number six shot had pierced the breast and brought •ip. against the bone. As 1 judged, that shot had been fired about a week before my own, and everything was quite usual, except tho clay-forming part of the clotted mass covering the old mischief..

In- the caso of the sparrow, its foot covering may-have been collected in an ordinary-way. but I note it among the rest, in hope they will bring mc further evidence on an interesting subject, from the personal observation of my correspondents. _he following instanco of bird surgery was reported in "The Field," "A snipe was shot in the autumn of 1913 in Transylvania, x on a prooertv of Count Samuel Telek. The bird was at once recognised by him as presenting a ( caso of surgical self treatment, and .was therefore minutely examined. The bandage or plaster on the leg—which had been broken —consisted cbieflv of downy feathers, with which however, a few stiffer ones had been mingled, and was smeared with some sort of adhesive mixture, so effectually applied, that-efforts made at the moment, failed to reach the injured spot." This interesting specimen was photographedand proservod, with the plaster scarcely disturbed from its original; condition..

In a footnote tho natural history editor of. "The Field" says that "extraordinary as the foregoing mav.fi"* pear," it.has received confirmation by several independent observers, not only in the case of snipe, but also with woodcock." Lieut. Godfrey Chambers, R.-N., writing from H.M.S. Kent at Wei-hai-Wei, on May 31st, records another instance: "On May 17th, while out after Spring snipe, a bird was killed which proved on examination to be suffering Jrom a brpken le***. The fracture' was "in the shin-bone above the ankle, and the foot,, though , darkskinned, was in perfect working order. On'further examination, a lump at tbe fracture was found to consist of some feathers, and very fine grass fibres, which with a mixture of mud had formed a splendid substitute for a splint. Both feathers and fibres had been so neatly and securely wound on the injured leg; that it was as well fixed as if it had been done by human agency." A like experience with an Australian snipe.' shot at 'the Tang-Tan Waterhbles, was ohronicled' some years ago in the Melbourne "Argus," .and several other instances aro within reach.