444 JOHN B. WATSON 



bird to rise to a height of 35 meters. On arrival at the point 

 B, the bird is allowed a few moments in which to "take note" 

 of the present surroundings of the cote. It is then put into 

 a covered basket, sent back to the point A, and released. On 

 the first trial a successful return of eight birds from a distance 

 of 100 km. was obtained. The ten pigeons which had been 

 transported inside the wagon failed to return when given this 

 test. The author tells us that these experiments have been 

 repeated many times. 



Watson "* continued his tests on the homing sense of the 

 noddy and sooty terns during the season of 1910. The weather 

 was unfavorable for the work. Birds of both species were 

 released in New York harbor, Galveston, and Mobile. All 

 were in poor condition on their arrival at these ports, and none 

 returned to Bird Key. Two out of three noddies released in 

 mid-ocean between Bird Key and Galveston (460 miles due 

 west from Bird Key) returned at the end of three days. These 

 returns are significant by reason of the fact that all possibility 

 of return through the help of visual familiar clues apparently is 

 excluded. One out of a group of four sooties released at night 

 en route to New York, 365 miles northeast from Bird Key, 

 returned at the end of four days, and one other possibly re- 

 turned after the experimenter left the island. 



Cyon's hypothesis of a special nasal sense was tested by 

 closing tightly with asphaltum the outer nasal chambers of 

 two noddies, and releasing them at Key West, 65 J miles due 

 east of Bird Key. Both birds returned in normal time. The 

 nasal chambers were still tightly closed with the asphaltum 

 when the birds were retaken on their nests the following morning. 

 Out of a group of twelve noddies and twelve sooties released 

 in Key West, all twelve noddies returned, but only ten of the 

 sooties. The time of the return varied from 17^ hours to 11 

 days. 



Thauzies '^^ argues' for the presence of a magnetic sense in 

 the homing pigeon. He presents no critical experiments which 

 would further such an hypothesis. The only observations seem- 

 ing to support his case are as follows: On 18 August, 1907, the 

 homing pigeon fanciers of Pir released at Orleans, 320 km. 

 distant, at 6.30 a. m., 99 young pigeons. The day was clear, 

 calm, and hot. Up to the date mentioned, the birds had been 



