The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-08-06
ANIMAL PSYCHOLOGY.



The new Institute of Geological Psy-
chology has a plant ON farm in the
nelghborhood of Paris. The exact To-
cation, the New York Suns CORE
hindrance to the work by crowds of
merely curious visitors. The property
includes meadows and barn-yards, a
wood of considerable size, and large
pond stocked with fish. There are
spacious buildings, including modern
stables, a riding school, stalls for iso-
lating animals under special observa-
ton, an aquarium and laboratory.
On the roof of the main building is a
dove-cote
How far the desire TO study the
habits of living creatures under nat
ural conditions may be carried is Illus
trated In the fact that complete div
ing apparatus has been provided in
which observers descend to the bottom
of the pond. There they remain for
hours, until the fish become accus-
toned to their presence, and follow
their natural impulses in playing and
feeding. The student Is thus enabled
to note their habits at first hand
The other extreme of observation is
the construction of sheltered platforms
In the branches of trees, where stu
dents sit through the night armed
with an electric fiashlight to watch
the doings of owls. bats and noctur-
nal insects.
One of the conclusions reached by
the students of the institute Is that
some animals possess special sense
by which they can detect the presence
of water even though they cannot see
It, The experiments were undertaken
at the suggestion of David Allen, q
resident of Australia and a CORE
spending member, who wrote to the
Institute of his experiences with sheep
and cattle when being driven across
country. In a place where the pres
ence of water was wholly unexpected,
he says, "the leading animals would
suddenly lift their heads and draw long
breaths. Then they would abandon the
beaten tracks and start running
through the brush" Sometimes they
would run mile and a half to two
miles, and could not be stopped by the
drivers, their course invariably leading
TO pond or spring hitherto unknow2
The experiments were made on a
water-rat. First its eyes were blinded
by q bandage, and then ii was placed
In turntable, which was wbirled round
until all sense OF direction must have
been obliterated. Upon being released.
without moments hesitation 1t started
directly for the pond. several hundred
yards distant
Frogs and toads were taken to a dis
tance of three or four miles from water
and turned loose. 1t seemed to take
them only a few seconds to locate the
water One old blind toad showed the
Instinct in the same degree as the
others
The nature or source of this is not
yet clearly discerned. The observers
have named it the sense Of humidity.
They believe it consists in perception
Of the direction in which the atm0s-
ohere contains most moisture. An effort
will be made 10 discover whether any
men possess It,
Among the subjects of Investigation
Is the sight of birds ard the hOming
Instinct of the carrier-pigeon. Many of
the members of the institute are in
clinod to consider this phenomenon Of
far sight. They have been taking by
triangulation the height to which the
birds soar, and from that figuring out
the radius of vision they attain. A
bird which reaches a height of eight
hundred yards can see objects more
than sixty miles distant, and that they
are keen-sighted enough to recognize
them cannot be doubted. At three miles
a vulture can descry the carcass OF a
kid hung on a pole.