lxxxvi Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



of direction " of lower animals. Pigeons which had been long con- 

 fined in a loft from which they had but a limited view of the immedi- 

 ate neighborhood were taken to an eminence, in some cases in an 

 open basket and in others blindfold. The course pursued is mapped 

 in each case. The same birds were subjected repeatedly to this treat- 

 ment in order to discover the effect of practice. 



It proves that the blindfolded pigeon may fly fifty miles in find- 

 ing its home, a good sized barn half a mile away. A week later he 

 flies home in less than a minute. The course pursued shows that the 

 flight is largely directed by prominent objects more or less resembling 

 that sought — in this case other red barns, etc. Considerable differ- 

 ence in discriminating power was observed and Dr. Hodge concludes 

 that there are stupid pigeons as well as stupid men. 



The experiments are supplemented by tracings of the course per- 

 sued by various individuals in search of small objects concealed in a 

 small area, and many of these paths are found to agree with the theo- 

 retically most economical course quite closely. 



The conclusion deducible from these studies obviously is that 

 lower animals determine their course by psychical processes whose 

 various steps express themselves much in the same way that human 

 intelligence would under similar conditions. 



The Homing of Pigeons. 1 



A series of experiments extending over two years and still in pro- 

 gress contributes further evidence against the so-called " ortssinn." 

 The experiments were designed to collect evidence as to the role of 

 the semicircular canals in the homing of pigeons. 



In the first study six pigeons were used, three placed in one 

 basket, three in another, both baskets being covered. Both baskets 

 were now carried 35 kilometers from Vienna, one as quietly as possi- 

 ble, the other suspended by a string and rotated at every change of 

 direction. When liberated the occupants of the second basket flew 

 back to the starting point in Vienna with as great precision and 

 speed as the others. 



In the second study four pigeons were used, all of which on the 

 outward journey were hooded. Through the head of two of them at 

 every change of direction an electrical current was passed sufficient 

 to produce giddiness and thus to disturb the power of orientation. 



j Exner, S. Negative Versuchsergebnisse iiber das Orientirungsverm5gen 

 der Brieftauben. Sitz. Akad. Wiss. Wien. CII, Heft 3-7, 1893. 



