CHAPTER XI 



THE MODIFICATION OF CONSCIOUS PROCESSES BY INDI- 

 VIDUAL EXPERIENCE (Continued} 



76. The Recognition of Landmarks 



A TYPE of learning which stands by itself is that involved 

 in the homing of certain animals. As we have seen, the 

 evidence is conclusive that solitary wasps guide themselves 

 back to the nests they have made by " recognizing" certain 

 visual peculiarities of the surroundings. They are con- 

 fused if the appearance of the nest or its vicinity is al- 

 tered. On first leaving the nest in search of the prey with 

 which to stock it, as food for the larva, they make an elabo- 

 rate flight with many turnings in and out about the im- 

 mediate neighborhood, which has been appropriately 

 termed a locality survey. Now when the wasp has found 

 and secured the caterpillar or spider which she seeks, she 

 retraces her flight apparently with the guidance of the visual 

 landmarks she noted on the outward journey. No one, it 

 is true, has yet actually determined the homeward flight 

 of the wasp in its relation to landmarks, but the probabili- 

 ties are that such is her method of procedure. The peculi- 

 arity of such learning is that it does not depend on repeti- 

 tion. The wasp makes but one nest in a given situation, 

 and in the case of certain species at least she makes but one 

 flight in search of food and but one homing flight. She 

 then makes a new nest in a new locality, impresses new 

 landmarks upon her memory, and is guided in her next 



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