248 SELF-EDUCATION: THE ACQUISITION OF 



instinct.' It has now been proved to demonstration that 

 the flight of the Belgian or other homing pigeon is directed 

 solely by the observation of landmarks. It has been found 

 inter alia that 



1. Only a proportion of the animals submitted to training 

 are successful in their flights. These successful ones are 

 presumably the most intelligent and observant. In every 

 pigeon match many birds fail altogether in home-finding. 



2. Even the best animals can fly only by daylight, when 

 landmarks are visible. They fail at night or in fog ; they 

 wait and watch for daylight and a clear atmosphere. 



3. They lose themselves, moreover, prior to the acqui- 

 sition of sufficient knowledge of the road. 



4. The acquisition of this knowledge is gradual, by a 

 series of progressive lessons, which are learned thoroughly 

 and easily in proportion to a bird's 



a. Natural intelligence. 

 6. Keenness of vision. 



c. Retentiveness of memory ; and the 



d. Intensity of its home affections or the nature 



of the attractions to its native place. 



Much more familiar than the homing of pigeons is the 

 recognition of persons by a great variety of animals, including 

 the dog, cat, horse, mule, elephant, cows, monkeys, orang, 

 hare, hedgehog, rats and mice, parrots and other cage birds, 

 crow, various fish, hornets and bees. 



All these and other animals come sooner or later to 

 know their masters or mistresses, those who are kind or 

 cruel to them, from all other persons ; and their behaviour 

 to strangers or enemies is very different from what it is to 

 those with whom they are familiar and friendly. 



Thus Mrs. Mackellar tells us, 'I have often seen cows 

 refuse to give a drop of milk to a stranger refusing the milk 

 being the revenge a cow takes if in the sulks.' And of a 

 shipboard pet hedgehog, ' I always fed her, and she knew me 

 very well, for she would never put up her bristles whatever I 

 did to her.' Watson gives the case of a crow recognising and 

 visiting a former master. Even bees know their master or 

 keeper from strangers. 



