VI OBSERVATIONS ON CHICKS 249 



before. Afterwards both drank regularly from such drops 

 of water. 



They looked at a bee with curiosity, and at flies also, but 

 pecked at neither. 



The white one fluttered its wings for the first time, as young 

 fowls are accustomed to do, in the manner which indicates a 

 feeling of contentment, and later it scratched repeatedly on 

 the wooden surface in just the same way as the old hens when 

 they scratch in sand or manure in search of small animals 

 or other food. To see them scratching on the smooth board, 

 from which there was nothing to scratch out, was exceedingly 

 comical ; and as the action was afterwards repeated without 

 any result in the same way and under the same conditions, 

 it afforded a perfect example of strongly inherited habit. 

 Clean white sand was untouched by either chick. 



In the forenoon of the fourth day water was for the first 

 time put before the chicks in an earthenware saucer, while 

 previously it had only been placed on the wooden tray in 

 large drops. Spite of the unfamiliarity of the vessel, the brown 

 one drank at once when it chanced to cro near the vessel. 



In the afternoon the chicks were placed for the first time 

 in the open air on the gravel in the garden, in the sun. They 

 looked about with surprise, stretching their necks, and appeared 

 afraid. They would not take their ordinary food which lay 

 before them on the wooden tray, but very soon began to peck 

 at the gravel, and to seek food. One pecked at the side of a 

 box, each began to take up a small stone in the beak again 

 and again as if to swallow it, until it was lost, when the chick 

 began on another. It seemed that they now required small 

 stones and sand in the gizzard, and wished to swallow them. 

 They also tried the most various objects with their beaks, 

 such as bits of wood, etc., throwing away what was useless. 

 Thus after a few moments of surprise they felt themselves as 

 it were in surroundings long familiar to them, in their natural 



