1922.] Sense of Smell possessed hy Birds. 245 



of water in pinioned wild-fowl. AVlien tliey escape from my 

 small pond, they at once make for the river, distant three- 

 quarters of a mile, although it is certain that they can 

 neither sec nor hear it from where they are ; accordingly 

 it must be by scent, or else by some unknown faculty that 

 they are guided. The latter solution is possibly the more 

 probable of the two. 



That some Birds undouhtedhj smell the presence of Enemies. — 

 Having now done with the 'food part of the enquiry ^ there 

 is another aspect in which to consider the employment of 

 scent by birds, — and that is, can they or can they not smell 

 the presence of an enemy ? We know very well that four- 

 legged animals are quick enough in detecting a hunter's 

 presence by the odour which he gives out, and what they 

 can accomplish, birds may be expected to do also. 



The experiments undertaken by Dr. Penrose, 3Ir. Kelso, 

 and Mr. Leslie Smith * it is true, do not altogether bear this 

 theory out, but there may have been something exceptional. 

 Xavier Raspail holds strongly that birds can and do smell 

 the presence of human beings and probably of other enemies. 

 In his judgment Pheasants and Partridges in France give 

 quite as ample proof of a distrust of hidden danger as do 

 hares, rabbits, and roedeer (1). 



That M. RaspaiPs observations are correct few will doubt, 

 but in England game is kept in such an artificial condition 

 that it is not easy to form any conclusion about Pheasants. 

 Partridges, however, seem capable of scenting danger, and 

 several times I have thought to detect their smelling a man's 

 presence when they did not see him, and the same also with 

 Wood-pigeons. 



Acute powers of scent have always been attributed to 

 Wild Ducks by decoymen, both Dutch and English. I used 

 to hear this insisted upon by old Page at Fritton Lak(>, and 

 in fact all decoymen are agreed about it. It was commonlv 

 held that a perfect decoy should be })rovided with three 

 " pipes,'' so that from whatever quarter the wind blew 

 * Antea, p. 230. 



