THE HONEY-GUIDES 47 



keys, or even hornbills, and might get some wax and food from them 

 without having "guided" the predators to these spots in advance. 

 On the other hand, Seitz (1923, pp. 22-23) goes so far as to say that 

 in parts of Africa where ratels do not occur, "almost certainly" other 

 mammals act in its stead. 



Layard (1867, p. 242) tells us that "with respect to the oft-repeated 

 story of the Honey-Guide leading persons to the nest of the honey-bee, 

 it is as well to mention that the bird will perform the same antics, and 

 utter the same cries, to lead anyone to a leopard, wild cat, or snake, 

 or will even follow a dog with the same vociferations." His account 

 does not make it clear if he actually witnessed a honey-guide following 

 a dog but, if his statement is to be accepted as factual, it is conceivable 

 that we may have here a case comparable to Haydock's observation 

 of the bird attempting to "lead" a small mongoose. 



Valence of the symbionts: In studying the guiding habit it is nec- 

 essary to inquire as to the pertinent, common meanings of the various 

 symbionts of the guiding bird. Only such values as are discernible 

 in ratels, baboons, and humans are basic to our problem. The valence 

 of these creatures, from the standpoint of the honey-guide, requires 

 definition, description, and, if possible, explanation. To use the 

 terminology put forth by Russell (1935), certain objects and events in 

 an animal's environment that stand out as eliciting responses, as 

 being apparently significant to the animal, are termed valent. The 

 criterion of valence is simply behavioral response. It must be kept 

 in mind that this "valence is not a quality of the object or event per se, 

 but depends essentially on the needs and 'interests' of the animal; in 

 this respect a valent object or event differs from a physico-chemical 

 stimulus." Stating the same general thought in other words. Lack 

 (1940a, p. 107) writes that to be effective a releaser must operate at a 

 time when the internal state of the animal to be affected by it is in a 

 proper phase for optimum response. The releaser in itself is not 

 sufficient and, while it plays a directive role, the animal seems to 

 react first to a more general situation. It behooves us to see how 

 accurately and explicitly we may distinguish between the releasers 

 and the general situation necessary for their effective operation; 

 indeed, without such discrimination we cannot hope to get very far. 



This brings us to the following point: Greater honey-guides of either 

 sex, adult or immature, in breeding condition or not, at any time of 

 the year and at any time of the day (not the night), hungry or with 

 well-filled gizzards, are in a physiological or psychological state to be 

 affected by the symbionts that release the behavior we know as 

 guidmg, or, to use Thorpe's (1951, p. 37) terminology, the birds are 

 in the mood, the preliminary state of readiness for action, necessary 

 to the performance of the instinctive behavior pattern that usually 



