CHICKS HATCHED FROM ALCOHOLIZED EGGS 117 



The Effect of Imitation on the Pecking Reaction 



Some authors, notably Lloyd Morgan, 2 and Holmes 3 , are of 

 the opinion that imitation plays a large part in the perfecting 

 of the pecking reaction. Holmes states that imitation is an 

 important factor in the education of young birds. The follow- 

 ing passage may be quoted from Lloyd Morgan: "A hen teaches 

 her little ones to pick up grain and other food by pecking on 

 the ground and dropping suitable materials before them, while 

 they seemingly imitate her action in seizing the grain." 



Thorndike, 4 is of the opinion that the pecking instinct is 

 practically perfect at birth. Watson, 5 believes that the im- 

 provement in the speed and accuracy of the pecking reaction 

 is due solely to practice. In support of his view he quotes the 

 results of Breed's 6 experiments with five-day old chicks which 

 had been prevented from previous pecking. These chicks pecked 

 with the accuracy of twenty-four-hour old chicks and required 

 two days' practise before their accuracy was up to standard. 



In order to determine what role, if any, imitation played in 

 the perfecting of the pecking reactions of our normal and alcohol 

 chicks, three normal and three alcohol three-day old chicks of 

 the second set were placed in separate pens. These pens were 

 so constructed that each chick was kept completely isolated 

 from and out of sight of the rest. The chicks were kept in 

 these pens for eleven days and tested on the same days and 

 by the same method as the group from which they were taken. 

 Alcohols Nos. 21 and 28 were among the six chosen as they had 

 not pecked at all when under observation on the third day. 



Two chicks, alcohol No. 28 and normal No. 7, died when 

 seven days old. The pecking reactions of the four remaining 

 chicks improved as rapidly as those of the group from which 

 they were taken. Alcohol No. 21 made a higher record than 

 was made by any other alcohol chick in spite of the fact that 

 it did not peck at all while under observation on the third day 

 and did not see any other chick peck at that time or any time 



2 Morgan, Lloyd. Animal Behavior., p. 189. 



3 Holmes, S. J. The Evolution of Animal Intelligence, p. 254. 



4 Thorndike, E. L. Animal Intelligence, 1911, p. 160. 



5 Watson, J. B. Behavior: An Introduction to Comparative Psychology, p. 

 141. 



6 Breed, F. S. Maturation and Use of an Instinct. Jour, of Animal Behav., 

 1913, 3, 274. 



