HABIT, INSTINCT, AND INTELLIGENCE. 157 



In the young dove an act once done seems indelibly stamped into the organization. 

 An interesting illustration recently came under my observation. From seeing the parents 

 eat, one of the first young of a pair of ring-doves had, at about 2 weeks of age, just learned 

 to pick up little bits of bread. The movements of the mandibles consisted, of course, of 

 first opening and then closing. This movement was learned. I presented a dish of water 

 to the bird and it put its beak into it and finding it to be something it wanted, it tried to 

 drink. But instead of keeping its beak in the water and drinking continuously as the 

 old ones do, it opened its beak and then closed it, just exactly as if picking up a piece of 

 bread, and then lifting its beak out of the water, it raised its head as if to let the water 

 run down its throat as a hen does. This curious behavior occurred several times over, 

 just after the bird had, for the first time, picked up crumbs of bread. The act of picking 

 opening and closing the beak had already become impressed on the creature so strongly 

 that for the time it determined the method of drinking, though the acquired method was 

 quite unlike the normal. The next day this bird had learned to drink like its parents. 



A young bird, about 4 weeks old, was once taken into the house for hand-care, as the 

 parents did not appear to be feeding it sufficiently. This bird, though unable to fly, 

 learned in a few minutes to pick up seed while with its parents on the ground of the pen. 

 The interesting point is that after being removed from the parents, and while alone and 

 picking up seed for itself, it keeps up squealing and frequent wagging of its wings, as it 

 does when teasing the old birds to feed it. These acts have been so long coordinated 

 with feeding that by force of habit after the use is passed the bird continues them. 



When adult pigeons (5 to 6 months old) are first turned loose in the open, after having 

 always been kept in a pen, it is curious to see how awkward they are about flying. If 

 they fly up on the roof of a three-story house and then want to get back they look over 

 the roof-edge and seem to shrink from the attempt, as a person would shrink from jumping 

 at a great height. If they get up the courage to try it, after seeing another bird do it, 

 they invariably fly off on the horizontal or near it, not having yet learned to throw them- 

 selves downward fearlessly. After they have learned that they can do it and not fall or 

 get harmed, they dive down gracefully in perfect confidence. 



The relation of lack of experience to the matter of flying in young pigeons is illustrated 

 in the following case : A young homer hybrid, about 5 weeks old, flew for the first time 

 from his cot-opening to a distance of about 25 feet across to the railing on the back 

 stairs of an adjoining house. The male parent accompanied it. I went up these stairs 

 and, approaching it slowly, keeping one hand in front of it and the other behind it, easily 

 captured it. Why did it not fly before I cornered it? Evidently because it did not feel sure 

 on the wing, and therefore hesitated until I had time to intercept its chances of escape. 

 It had not been handled, and surely wished to escape ; and had not my hands been in its way 

 it probably w r ould have flown. The young dove, then, stands like a child, unacquainted 

 with the world and inexperienced in the use of its powers. It hesitates to fly from fear 

 and from lack of knowing where it can go for safety. 



Doves learn, and learn quickly, to measure their chances against different competi- 

 tors. For example: 



(1) A large dove will generally refuse to budge for a smaller one. The sense of strength 

 is felt by the larger bird. With young birds the case is different, for all young birds are 

 submissive and non-resistant. 



(2) The victor often follows up his victory, becomes more domineering, more encroach- 

 ful. Power is learned by experience. 



(3) Some small birds show their superiority by imposing on larger birds; e.g., the case 

 (given elsewhere) of some small geopelias and the large white-faced pigeon. Again, the 

 common mourning-dove is often quite keen in frightening off other doves by sudden 

 jumps or flirts of the wings. 



