The herald., 1893-07-10
SENSE OF DIRECTION.
THE FACULTY IN ANIMALS THAT
LEADS THEM BACK HOME.

what May Be Learned by Watching and
Experimenting with the Pet Dog or tho
Household Cat--some Striking Examples
of This Remarkable Power.
1t is we'll known that any of our do
mestic animals can find its way home
from distance Of many miles, even
after the lapse of some time. This facul-
ty is perhaps oftenest seen in the dog,
the horse and the cat, but is known to
be almost or quite as fully developed in
the OK. The faculty has been supposed
by some naturalists to depend upon a
sixth sense, independent of sight or
smell. Such theory involves an organ
Of sense by which tho needed observa-
tions may be carried to the brain, an
organ which must be distinct from eye,
ear and nostril. Psychologists have not
as yet found any such organ in the con-
stitution Of any animal, nor have they
found any nerves different from those
which belong to our own nervous sys-
tenn. This is almost conclusive evidence
that animals possess no sense different
from ours.
If we watch the conduct Of dog
when he is thrown upon his own re-
sources to find his way home, we shall
see that he has made good use Of his five
senses up to this time, and that he pur-
poses to make good use of them in the
immediate future. 1t is always assumed
that the dog has not slept during the
time that he has been carried from
home. If he were to sleep, he would lose
all clew whether he had sixth sense or
not, for in sleep all the senses are equal
ly dormant.
The case has been submitted Of dog
taken by rail a distance Of 200 miles in
circuitous course and set down 80 miles
from home. He disappears and the next
day is at his old haunts. He could not
have followed the rail by which he came,
for this would take him longer time.
He must have struck across country.
The question is, Did he take direct
line for home or did he shape his general
course SO as to come out upon some fa-
miliar spot, miles, it may be, from his
home, and from that point follow re-
membered paths? Hunters say that the
latter is most frequently. the case.
Suppose that in the dogs absence the
old home has been burned down and his
masters family have moved five miles
to the right OF left. but are at the same
distance from the point at which he was
set down. He will 60 back to the old
spot and from there will trace the fam
lily by scent if he traces them at all. He
has no sense to inform him of the
changed position Of the family, nor of
anything more than would be known to
man under the same circumstances.
But the case is made clearer by sup
posing that the dogs master has left
home, gun in hand, while the doc has
been detained for time. The mar goes
straight to the woods, but after getting
out of sight makes a turn so as to bring
him to the opposite side of the house. If
now the dog is let loose, he takes to the
woods at the point where he saw his mas
ter enter. From there he trusts to his
eyes and nose, keeping close upon his
masters trail.
If the dog had special sense Of direc-
tion, he would not so easily be thrown
off the pursuit of deer or fox by the
animal taking to the water. Every spe-
cies Of animal that has been made the
prey of dogs has learned to battle pursuit
by deceiving the sight or scent Of its pur-
suers. Such creatures would have been
likely to find out before this time if the
dog had any special sense, and we should
see them acting upon the knowledge.
The most interesting and perplexing
cases are those In which animals that have
been taken some distance from home in
closed cages have yet found their way
back without difficulty. This shows a
highly developed sensitiveness to every
change of direction.
This faculty of perception is low in
man, but it may be developed and train
ed. There ara persons who sleep best
with the head toward the north. Let
such person when travelling on a sleep
ing car make it point to decide upon
the course Che train is going as soon as
he wakes from sleep in the night, and''
will find himself rapidly gaining new
power to determine directions.
Darwin's experiment. is an interesting
one. He put some bees in dark paper
boxes and carried them by circuitous
route distance from the hive. When
they were set free, they all returned in
straight line to their home.
Again he took them over a similar
route, but on the way he spun the boxes
rapidly around. This time only one or two
bees reached the hive, and perhaps these
got back only by accident. While spin
ming around in the boxes they lost per-
ception of the direction in which they
were being carried.
1t is often observed that when dogr
turns home by way which he must have
made out with care and on his own ac-
count he at once throws himself upon
the floor or the ground and sleeps sound
ly for time. This is apt to be referred
to physical exhaustion, but lis more likely
to be due to the fact that the animal has
kept his faculties all ON the alert and has