ANTICS AND ODOR AMONG THE BIRDS. 75 
birds certainly have odors, however, which, while 
not so evident to us, are easily detected by dogs, foxes, 
weasels, ete. These odors are in many cases distine- 
tive, since an experienced setter often shows that he 
knows what kind of birds are under his point. These, 
arising solely from food, insensible perspiration, breath, 
oil gland, etc., are not, however, so characteristic as in 
the mammals, since they distinguish each other and 
their individual young by scent. No chance for a 
Prince and Pauper romance there. but birds do not 
seem to recognize their young this way, else the cow- 
bird could not so frequently foist her squab upon the 
others. . 
There is much in the stronger existence of odor 
in flocking birds and in their behavior in reassem- 
bling after being scattered, to imply that their odor 
has been intensified or developed for some such social 
purpose. Those that are ground haunters are strongly 
odorous to dogs when adult, but their very downy 
young before they fly seem scarcely so at all, so that 
experienced noses fail to “locate” them even when 
they are near by. This would imply also that the 
acquisition of these special gamy odors (as they are 
styled) is rather recent, as in all probability are the 
social habits. 
The sense of smell in some birds is quite keen. 
This is well shown in some carrion eaters, notwith- 
standing their large dependence on sight, and in the 
snipe forms, which to some extent probe the ground 
for food at the proper place by it. The Apterym is 
said to snufile like a dog while it hunts in the dark, 
