OBSERVATIONS ON DOVES LEARNING TO DRINK 275 



the entire reaction giving the impression that the bird had lost 

 consciousness, or felt, if any consciousness, a painful one. 



Conclusion : The young pigeon does not learn to drink by 

 imitating drinking as such. It drinks first by an involuntary 

 reflex act of swallowing when the bill becomes accidentally 

 submerged in water. 



31st day. — This dove has had no water since its one drink 

 yesterday. 12:30 to 1.00 P. M. I keep the dish of water in its 

 cage, and watch. Dove does not recognize the water, though 

 I drop seed after seed into the water. Finally, about 1 P. M., 

 dove having moved away from dish, I move the dish close to 

 it. Suddenly, I know not why, it thrust bill into water, and 

 immediately the swallowing reaction was set up. After swal- 

 lowing several gulps, it withdrew bill and stood in rigid erect 

 attitude, making swallowing movements in a stiff, mechanical 

 manner quite unlike that of the adult. 



7,2nd day. — I offered it water today in same dish as formerly. 

 I tried for about ten minutes to call its attention to this water, 

 by dropping seeds in, by moving the dish in front of the dove, 

 etc., — but all failed to attract its attention. Then I took a 

 pencil and thrust the point of it repeatedly into the water. The 

 dove immediately noticed this and began to thrust its bill into 

 the water as the pencil had been thrust in. After two or three 

 such thrusts, the next thrust took its bill deep into the water 

 and the swallowing reaction ensued. 



33rd day. — 1 P. M. I put water dish in, "peck" in it with 

 pencil, and drop in seeds and gravel, and thus succeed, after a 

 time, in drawing dove to the dish. It puts down its bill beyond 

 the dish and tries to drink there! Rut soon (from getting toes 

 wet?) puts bill into dish and drinks. 



6 P. M. (Room lighted by incandescent electric lamp.) I 

 offer water, again "pecking" into dish with lead pencil. This 

 keeps stimulating dove's attention. After a time it comes, puts 

 bill down just outside the dish and tries to drink. Then walks 

 around dish. I keep drawing its attention by dropping seeds 

 into the water. It seems to want to drink, but does not again 

 really try — until it steps full into the water; then it quickly 

 puts bill in and drinks, as if stimulated by wet feet. 



34th day. — 6:30 P. M. (Electric light.) I put in same dish of 

 water. Dove seemed to pay no special attention to mere pre- 



