INSTINCTS AND HABITS IN CHICKS 19 



of practice, I cannot say. The confinement did not do it any 

 permanent injury, it seems, for it continued in the pecking tests, 

 hved to make a perfect record after an average number of trials 

 in later black-blue color selection tests, and survived after that 

 till it was killed and dissected for sex determination on March 

 14, 1908. Its record in the later pecking tests is submitted in 

 table I. This table shows the accuracy of its pecking during 

 the nine days after Dec. 12, on the basis of twenty reactions 

 a day. 



TABLE 1 



Chick no. 8. Dec. 13-21, 1907. Pecking 



Date 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 



Missed 2 1 2 



Struck 3 4 7 2 2 2 1 



Seized 1 1 3 1 1 



Swallowed 14 14 13 17 15 18 18 18 



The record of this chick in its first test is not presented as 

 typical, but is submitted to show how a chick may act under 

 conditions like those set forth above. 



Two other chicks, no. 7 and no. 14, of the same brood as no. 

 8, were enclosed at the same time in the dark-box with no. 8. 

 These chicks were helped out of their shells just as they were 

 hatching and transferred at once to the dark-box. They were 

 not hooded, but even if they had been securely blindfolded, 

 little would have been gained, for the light that reached the 

 interior of the black-Hned box was negligible in amount. 



No. 7 was brought to the light for its tests at 11:05 ^- ™m 

 Dec. II, after 33 hours, 35 min. in the dark-box. My notes on 

 its behavior are as follows: "Followed moving object (hand) 

 with head. Pecked wood over edge of black cardboard. Wiped 

 bill on board. Pecked three times at a pellet of bread moistened 

 with milk. Missed it each time. Chick pushed bill slowly toward 

 bread crumb on the black surface — a slow peck. Missed crumb, 

 weak peck. Bit toes. Touched small white speck with bill. 

 (The experimenter did not point at objects.) Rested under 

 hand with its eyes closed. Missed a crumb twice. Missed another. 

 Moved bill toward it slowly. Chick able to stand. Pecked at 

 feet and lost balance. Bit wing twice. Pecked black card- 

 board. . . Chick seemed cold and was returned to the 

 brooder." The record of no. 7's pecking at food particles and 



