O MR. B, F. OUMiMlNOS OX 



PAPERS. 



1. Distant Orientation in Amphibia. 

 By BkUCE F. CUBIMINGS *. 



rReceived September 1, 1911 ; Read Octoher 24, 1911.] 



(Text- figures 4 & 5.) 



Introduction. 



Tlie observations and experiments detailed below were made in 

 North Devonshire during the course of the last two years. The 

 Amphibia chiefly used were two species of Newts. The British 

 Newts have a peculiar geographical distribution in these Islands, 

 and, living in the north of Devon, I was fortunate in being able 

 to obtain large quantities of two species, Molge cristata Laur., and 

 Molge palmaia Schneid. It has long been the custom of field 

 naturalists, year after year with all the precision of Gilbert 

 White of Selborne, to note the date of the fir.st return of Frogs 

 and Efts to their breeding-ponds as indicative of the return of 

 spring. It occurred to me to enquire how the Amphibia find the 

 water again after having left it in the autumn of the preceding 

 year. Nothing appears to be known of this subject, although the 

 problem of these amphibian migrations is a simple one compared 

 with that of the migrations of birds, which has attracted, and still 

 is attracting, so much attention from the students of animal life. 

 No one has shown how the Amphibia find the water, and it 

 is not definitely known whether the Amphibia return to the same 

 piece of water each spring, nor whether eveiy animal or only 

 a lucky small percentage finds water as the breeding season comes 

 round, nor precisely how extensive their perambulations on land 

 may be during the autumn months before hibernation sets in. 

 Many larval Newts, and a few adult Newts of Molge palmata 

 remain in the water hibernating at the bottom of the pond. But 

 these are exceptional. The majority of our Amphibia do leave 

 the water, and large numbers annually find their way back to it 

 in the following spring. The Newt is essentially a nocturnal 

 animal, and a visit to a newt-pond with a lantern after dark, 

 whether in spring or autumn, is sufficient to show that night is 

 the time when the migrations are carried on. The answer to 

 the question how these amphibian migrations are performed 

 must involve points of importance to amphibian psychology and, 

 Avhen elucidated, the subject will form an interesting chapter 

 in their natural histoiy. The literature is scant and vague. 

 G. J. Romanes t thought that Frogs had a distinct idea of locality. 

 He based this idea on the cases reported to him by some of his 

 correspondents, where Frogs, removed a distance of 200 or 300 



* Cominmiiciiteil liy T. A. Cowarb, F.Z.S. 



t G. J, Romaues, 'Animal lutclligeucc,' p. 251. 



