The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-02-06
Paper read before the British Association, by
ID. A. Spaldingl
On Instinct.

and direction by the eye and the ear
Against the instructive character of these
perceptions it is argued that, as distance
means movement, locomotion, tho very
essence Of the idea is such cannot be
taken IN by the eye or ear; that what the
varying sensations of sight and hearing
correspond to, must be got at by moving
over the ground by experience. The
results, however of experiments on
chickens were wholly in favor of the
instructive nature of these perceptions.
Chickens kept in a state of blindness by
various devices from one to three days,
when placed in the light under set of
carefully prepared conditions, gave con-
elusive evidence against the theory that
the perceptions of distance and direction
by the eye are the result of associations
formed in the experience of each indi-
vidual life. Often at the end of two
minutes. they followed with their eyes
the movements of crawling insects, turn
ing their heads with all the precision of
an old fowl. In from two to fifteen min
utes they 'pecked at some object, showing
not merely an instructive perception of
distance. but an original ability to
measure distance with something like
infallible accuracy. If beyond the reach
OF their necks, they walked or ran up to
the object Of their pursuit, and may be
said to have Invariably struck it, never
missing by more than hairs BREADTH
this, too, when the specks at which they
struck were no bigger than the smallest
visible dot of an i. To seize between the
points of the mandible at the very in
stant OF striking seemed a more difficult
operation. Though at times they seized
and swallowed an insect at the first at
tempt, more frequently they struck five
or six times lifting once or twice before
they succeeded in swallowing their first
n fob hvr -
the observations on a single case a little
IN detail; chicken, at the end of six
minutes after having its eyes unveiled,
followed with its head the movements of
fly twelve inches distant; at ten min
utes the fly, coming within reach of its
neck, was seized and swallowed at the
first stroke; at the end of twenty min
utes 1t had not attempted to walk step.
lt was then placed on rough ground
within sight and call of hen, with
chickens of his own age. After standing
chirping for about q minute, it went
straight towards the hen, displaying as
keen perception of the qualities of the
outer world as it was ever likely to pos
sess in after life. 1t never required to
knock its head against a stone to dis
cover that there was mo road that way"
1t leaped over the smaller obstacles that
lay in its path, and ran round the larger,
reaching the mother in as nearly q
straight line as the nature of the ground
would permit. Thus it would seem that,
prior to experience, the eye-at least the
eye of the chicken-peroeiVes the pri-
mary qualities of the external world, all
arguments of the purely analytical school
of psychology to the contrary notwith-
standing.
Not less decisive were experiments on
hearing. Chickens Matched and kept in
the dark for day or two, on being
placed IN the light nine or ten feet from
N box in which a brooding hen was con
cealed, after standing chirping for a
moment or two, uniformly set off straight
to the box, in answer to the call of the
hen which they had never seen and
never before heard. This they did strug-
Cling through grass and over rough
ground, when not able to stand steadily
on their legs. Again, chickens, that
from the first had been denied the use Of
their eyes by having hoods drawn over
their heads while yet in the shell, were,
while thus blind, made the subject of
experiment. These, when left to them
selves, seldom made forward step, their
movements being round and round and
backward; but when placed within five
Or six feet of the hen mother, they, in
answer to her call, became much more
lively began to make little forward Jour
alone, though of course blindly. Another
experiment consisted in rendering chick
ems deaf for time by sealing their ears
with several folds of gum paper before
they escaped from the shell. These, on
having their ears opened when two OIL
three days old and being placed within
call OF the mother concealed in a box OIL
on the other side of door, after turning
round few times ran straight to the
spot whence came the first sound they
had ever heard. Clearly, of these chick
ems it cannot be said that sounds were tt
them at first but meaningless sensations
A very useful instinct may be observed
in the early atten ton chickens pay t.
their toilet. As soon as they can holc
up their heads, when only from four t.
five hours old, they attempt dressinj
their wings, and that too, when the.
have been denied the use of their eyes
Another incontestable case of instinc
may be seen in the art of scraping il
search of food. Without any opportuni
ties of imitation, chickens begin to scrap
when from two to six days old. Mos
frequently the circumstances are sugges
tives at other times, however, the frs
attempt, which generally consists of
sort of nervous dance was made on
smooth table. The unacquired dexterit
shown in the capture of insects is yer
remarkable. A duckling one day old, o
being placed in the open air for the frs
time, almost Immediately snapped at Ian
caught, fly on the wing. Still more il
teresting is the instructive art of catcl
ing flies peculiar to the turkey l oil
served a young turkey not day and
half old which had adopted while W
in the shell, pointing its beak slowly an
deliberately at flies and other small ii
sects without actually pecking at then
In doing this, its head could be seen
shake like hand that is attempted to
held steady by visible effort This
recorded when / did not understand i
meaning. For it was not until afte
wards that observed that a turkey, ,whe
it sees fly settled on any object stea
on the unwary insect with slow an
measured step. and, when sufficient
near, advances its head very slowly ar
steadily until within reach of its pre-
which is then seized by sudden ClaI
In still further confirmation of Il
opinion, that such wonderful exampl
OF dcxterity and cunning are instincti
and not acquired, may be adduced Il
significant fact that the individuals
each species have little capacity to leal
anything not found in the habits of the
progenitors A chicken was made. fro
the first and for several months, the Sc
companion of a young turkey. Yet
never showed the slightest tendency
adopt the admirable art of catching fiji
that it saw practiced before its eyes eve
go