JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR 



Vol. 6 MARCH-APRIL No. 2 



THE REACTIONS OF NECTURUS TO STIMULI 

 RECEIVED THROUGH THE SKIN 



MARY HONORA SAYLE 



University of Wisconsin 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 



Introduction.- 81 



I. The Reactions to Touch 82 



II. The Reactions to Chemicals 84 



(a) Acids 84 



(b) Alkalies and Alkaline Earth Salts 91 



(c) Alcohol 94 



(d) Clove Oil and Turpentine 96 



(e) Summary 96 



III. The Reactions to Heat 96 



IV. The Reactions to Light 98 



V. Discussion 100 



VI. Summary 101 



Bibliography 101 



INTRODUCTION 



The mud puppy, Necturus maculosus (Rafinesque), of the 

 fresh waters of North America has long been of interest on 

 account of its primitive structure and its systematic position 

 near the base of the amphibian line, but its reactions have been 

 little studied. 



For over two centuries it has been known that fishes possess 

 various highly specialized sense organs in the skin, and later 

 work along this line has been done by Herrick ('03), Parker 

 ('09, '10), Sheldon ('09), and Reese ('12). During recent years 

 the reactions of amphibians have been studied by Torelle ('03), 

 Parker ('03), Cole ('07), and others, but upon Necturus very 

 little has yet appeared. Reese ('06), and Pearse ('10) have 

 worked upon the reactions of Necturus to light and heat. Reese 



