Birds
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 1995:
Psychologist Shigeru Watanabe of
Keio University in Tokyo reported in the
May edition of New Scientist that pigeons can
tell paintings by Pablo Picasso’s cubist period
from those of impressionist Claude Monet,
but cannot distinguish the works of Cezanne
from those of Renoir––which is to say they
have about the same ability to discern style as
the average art appreciation student.
The last male crested ibis in
Japan died suddenly on May 1 while carrying
grass to the nest occupied by his mate, bor-
rowed from China, and their cluster of five
eggs. The egg were to hatch circa May 10.
The dead ibis, age 21, was the next to last of
five who were taken from the wild for
attempted captive breeding in 1981. None so
far have bred successfully. The sole survivor
of Japan’s once plentiful crested ibises is a 28-
year-old female. China still has 28 of the big
birds, all in zoos and/other sanctuaries.