i9'-i2.j Sense of S)neU possessed htj Birds. 229 



In 1905 F. R. Ilerrick.^ 

 „ 1905 F. Guillemard.' 

 „ 1907 C. W. Beebe.« 



„ 1912 Abol Cluipiniui (with reservations).^ 

 „ 1912 J. E. Kelso do.^" 



« 'Home Life of Wild Birds,' p. G. 



" 'Nature,' P'ebvuary 2, 190o, 



' ' The Bird ' and * Bulletin of the New York Zoological Society/ 1909, 



part ii. p. 465. 

 9 'The Field; January 1912. 

 '" ' Common and Rare British Birds,' p. 330. 



These authors, and it will be recognised that there are 

 some names of good standing, must all be ranged on the 

 opposition side in the question of " Scent " versus '' No 

 Scent. ■'^ Indeed, two of them who may well rank as experts, 

 Elliott Ooues and Lord Lilford, are in the most distinct 

 opposition to the theory. Lord Lilford, who, when he was 

 alive, was looked upon as a safe exponent of bird-life, 

 expresses himself very strongly as a disbeliever in the 

 employment of scent by the majority of birds, and adduces 

 his experience as a gunner of many j^ears. 



The views of modern Ornithologists, and tJie futility of their 

 experiments up to the present. — It will be seen, therefore, 

 that in the past the non-scent advocates have been in the 

 majority. At the same time, it is quite plain that it is not 

 with the disbelievers that the onus prohandi rests, but with 

 the u[iholders of the scenting theory. First of all, let us 

 test the matter l)y the opinion of some of those more recent 

 writers who have approached the question without the bias 

 which marked the Andubon-AVaterton wrangle, and whose 

 views are more likely to be sound. First, Mr. Abel 

 Chapman, a competent ornithologist, who follows in the 

 line of Lord Lilford — that is to say he is opposed to the 

 idea of birds, with the exception of the Anseres^ being able 

 to scent either food or foe to any considerable extent *. 



On the question of Ducks {Anseres) there is a good deal 

 to be said, and this part of the subject will be returneil to 



* "The Sense of Snu'll in Birds " (Field, Dec. 30, 1911, and Jan. G, 

 1912). In preparinj^- these articles Mr. Chapman acknowledges the 

 assistance of Mr. J. E. Hartiu"-. 



