FUNCTION OF VIBRISSAE IN BEHAVIOR OF WHITE RAT 9 



which evidently correspond to the whiskers of the cat ; and we 

 may accordingly regard these nose leaves merely as an excessive 

 development of the cat's whiskers accompanied by leaf like 

 growths from the skin of the nose."^ 



The labyrinth method, which has been so much used in the 

 study of animal behaviour recently, also is not new. Broughton, 

 in 1823, gave a brief description of the nerve of the tactile hair 

 of the cat and then says: — 



"So large and particular distribution of an exquisitely sensible 

 nerve, it is reasonable to suppose, must be for the purpose of 

 some sensible function. To ascertain this, I put it to the test of 

 experiment in the following manner :— 



I placed walls of books upon the floor, so as to resemble the 

 streets of a town opening into each other; and, having closed 

 the eyes of a kitten completely, I set it down to find its way 

 through the lanes of books. It continued to move on wherever 

 a free communication presented itself, holding its head cautiously 

 down close to the floor, and very adroitly avoiding contact with 

 the sides of the walls, the corners of which it also turned without 

 approaching closer than just sufficient to touch the tips of the 

 w^hiskers slightly, when it always drew back instantaneously. 

 At length it found its way out freely; and I then cut off the 

 whole of the whiskers close to the face, and again set it down to 

 observe whether this would produce any alteration in its manner. 

 The kitten now showed evident signs of having lost the only 

 remaining means of guiding itself. It struck its head repeatedly 

 against the sides of the walls, ran against all the corners, and 

 tumbled over steps placed in its way, instead of avoiding all 

 these as before the removal of the whiskers. — From these facts 

 I imagine that certain animals are supplied with whiskers for 

 the puipose of enabling them to steer clear of opposing bodies 

 in the dark. The mammalia having lips and considerable facial 

 development are probably furnished with these bristles, or fine 

 tubes of a compact substance, which, whilst they readily yield 

 to pressure, convey the impression or excite the simple sensation 

 of contact ; just as the antennae of the sepia, the lobster, the 

 snail, insects, etc., are to all appearances constructed for the 

 sense of touch. 



Animals which seize their prey by night, and such as explore 



Lyddeker, F.: Natural History, vol. 1, p. 249. 



