January 4, 1967

Dr. Jack H. Mendelson

National Center for Prevention and Control
of Alcoholism

National Institute of Mental Health

Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Dear Dr. Mendelson:

This piece in today's Wall Street Journal reminded me that I had a trivial
note on my pad at the last Gouncil meeting with respect to possible animal
models for alcchol-~dependence. I was thinking of the recurrent accounts of
Robins and perhaps other birds becoming staggeringly drunk in large numbers
by the engorgement of overly fermented berries. This is just an anecdotal
observation, but I would guess a reliable one. If some ornithologists could
document species differences in this behavior, it might, however, give some
clue where to look for biochemical correlates of the differences.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

/V9S79 CNAW