1922.] Sense of Smell possessed h;i Birds. 2't\ 



would be aiiuloiTous. and i£ we credit one. there is no valid 

 reason against believinir the other; but there is one thing 

 ^vhich a food-finding sense (if we grant it) would be no help 

 in explaining — it cannot show how birds realise the presence 

 of an enemy. Here scent must surely come into play. 



Can Birds scnit one anotJter hi the hreedinfj-season. — There 

 still remains one other matter connected with scent, although 

 it turns on a very ditferent pivot from the preceding argu- 

 ments, and that is its possible connection with the mating of 

 birds. Undoubtedly the gift of scent, although not actually 

 needful, would be an assistance to mating in many cases, 

 especially where sjiecies are scarce and individuals far apart, 

 as must often happen when the usual area of distribution 

 has been exceeded. If a Golden Oriole or a Hoopoe comes 

 to England in 3Iay, prepared to breed, the chance of its 

 meeting a mate is somewhat remote. If a Sco[»s Owl or 

 a Stilt Plover goes to Holland for the same purpose at 

 that season it is equally unlikely that it will at once come 

 across a partner, but given the assistance of scent and we 

 can understand how birds comparatively far apart may be 

 drawn together. 



Sir Ray Lankester was of opinion that scent was employed 

 in drawing the sexes to one another. '" There is no doubt." 

 he writes, '" that animals of the same species are attracted to 

 one another by smell, and that distinct species have distinct 

 smells " *. He is not here referring to birds, but there 

 seems no reason why they should not be endowed in this 

 way just as much as beasts and insects. 



The singularly quick re-mating to be sometimes remarked 

 in birds which have been widowed, purposely or accidentally, 

 after pairing is perhaps in favour of their being able to 

 smell one another, but then we must not overlook their 

 acuity of sight. 



Mr. George Bolam, who has had opportunities of watching 

 many a Raven in Xorthumberland, is not the only naturalist 

 who regards their speedy re-union — sometimes under the 

 most disadvantageous circumstances — as a matter for 



* ' Diversions of a Xatiiralist,' p. 208. 



