THE OLFACTORY REACTIONS OF THE NEWT 271 



The reactions I obtained by squirting meat juice over the 

 nostrils were like those reported by Reese. 



After .describing the reactions of Diemyctylus to "liquid 

 chemicals," Reese attempts «to distinguish between the sense 

 of smell and taste. The time during which the feeding response 

 is inhibited after cocaine is applied to the external nares is 

 compared with similar inhibition occurring after temporarily 

 placing cotton soaked in cocaine within the animal's mouth. 

 The results obtained are not convincing, for, as the author 

 points out, they are "somewhat conflicting" and open to several 

 interpretations. 



As a final test, the olfactory nerves were cut. The method 

 is described as follows: "It was found by dissecting preserved 

 specimens that, by inserting the points of a fine pair of scissors 

 into the two posterior nares, and cutting the intervening tis- 

 sues, both olfactory nerves could be sectioned with one quick 

 cut. With the four selected animals this was done, after ad- 

 ministering just enough ether to keep them from struggling." 

 Reese's experiments upon the three animals which survived the 

 operation and his conclusions are as follows. 'These three 

 recovered from the ether in a few minutes and the morning 

 after the operation they were as active as ever, and gave no 

 indication of being any the worse for the operation. Once or 

 twice a day for more than a week they were tested with a bit 

 of raw meat, but in no case attempted to seize it. Two of the 

 animals paid no attention whatever to the meat, while the 

 third, on two or three occasions, followed the meat (and also 

 a piece of filter paper) without snapping at it. Juice from raw 

 meat and from earthworms, described above caused no reac- 

 tion whatever, though samples of both caused the snapping 

 response in normal animals. 



"After having been without food for about two weeks the 

 animals, stimulated by extreme hunger, began to snap at meat 

 or filter paper that was moved near them. If permitted to do 

 so they would swallow the filter paper as readily as the meat. 

 They would not seize either meat or paper unless it was in 

 motion. 



' While it is hard to understand why, if sight be the sense 

 used, ' cutting the olfactory nerves should make an animal less 

 apt to follow a bit of meat or a tasteless piece of paper, the 



