| OCR Text |
Show 496 REV. S. J. WHITMEE ON PALOLA VIRIDIS. [June 15, of the wild cats and rats, is it not ? It used to make a nest anywhere on the ground formerly, just like a fowl." This remark about a change in the place of building the nest was given exactly as I have translated it, without any " leading question" on m y part, or any remark which could have suggested it; and I have full confidence in the truthfulness of the native who made it. From m y own observation of living Didunculi, I think these birds manifest a considerable amount of intelligence: e.g. the young one which I procured last year (which I forwarded to Sydney in December last to be transmitted to the Zoological Society of London) very early recognized persons. I caught it one day to transfer it to a large cage. From that time it took a great dislike to me, which was manifested iu the most unmistakable manner whenever I approached it. This intelligence seems to have enabled the bird to change its habits for self-preservation. It has probably been frightened when roosting or during incubation by the attacks of cats, and has sought safety in the trees. Learning, from frequent repetition of the fright, that the ground is a dangerous place, it has acquired the habit of building, roosting, and feeding upon the high trees; and this change of habit is now operating for the preservation of this interesting bird, which was a few years ago almost extinct. Samoa, March 13th, 1874. 4. On the Habits of Palola viridis. By S. J. W H I T M E E , C.M.Z.S., F.R.G.S. [Received May 31, 1875.] From the article " Helminthology" in the ' Encyclopaedia Bri-tannica '*, I see a notice of this annelid is in the ** Proceediugs ' of the Society for March 9th, 1847. A paper ou it has also appeared in vol. xxii. of the Linnean Society's 'Transactions' by Dr. Macdonald. I have not seen either of these papers ; but I presume the worm is fully described in them. Very good magnified figures of the head and the posterior extremity of the Palola are copied from Dr. Mac-donald's paper in the late Dr. Seemann's * Mission to Viti' t. I shall confine the present paper to an account of the time of the Palolds appearance during several years, and some observations on its habits which I made in 1872 and 1873. The Palolo % appears regularly at the time of the moon's last quarter in October and November. I am indebted to the Rev. George Brown, of the Wesleyan Missionary Society (who resided several years at a place on the island of Savaii, where it is very abundant) for the following dates of the worm's appearance :- 1862. Oct. 15th. A small number only. „ Oct. 16th (day of moon's quartering). Palolo plentiful. * Enc. Brit. xi. 297. t Mission to Viti, p. 62. X I employ this form in both the singular and plural number, according to Polynesian usage. |
