Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1913-06-13
BIRDS HAVE A SENSE OF TO-
CATION UNKNOWN TO MANKIND

Dawn in southland in the
Dry Tortuga Islands at the en-
tremity of tie Florida peninsula in
the waters of the gulf of Mexico.
there has been quietly going on
some very Interesting experiments
to prove scientifically that certain
birds have a sixth sense, a sense
having no relation to sight, touch,
hearing, taste or smell
This n is one of location. 1t
is what enables a bird to perform
the wonderful "homing" achieve
ments. But these experiments have
shown that it is something more
than the fact that the bird can find
its way home There is apparent
ly an absolute sense of location
which work as accurately over hun
dreds Of miles as the most accurate
surveyors instrument in making a
triangulation.
The Carnegie institute has an
experiment station on the bird re-
serve which i Includes many Of the
Dry Tortugas Islands, and here
Professors Myer and Watson have
been making scientific tests of
which the following is a sample.
The professor goes into a group
of nests where the seabirds have
laid their eggs so thickly that it is
almost impossible to walk without
stepping on an egg. Many of the
Islands are literally covered with
birds during breeding time. The
nests are not regular nests but are
merely slight depressions in the
sand. In this depression the female
bird lays a single egg and proceeds
to hatch it. The experimenter takes
the bird from off this egg, and
puts her into a basket which is Gov
cred with painted canvass to en-
tirely exclude the light, and the
package is shipped away, sometimes
TO sea, sometimes on land a dis
lance of $50 miles or more. The
bird with a green mark painted
across its back so that it may be
easily recognized is then released.
In a very brief time il has found
its way back to the nest. If the
egg is left un1isturbed the mother
settles on her egg and then pro-
ceeds to go on with the Matching
operations. II the egg has been
removed three inches from the spot
where il was. the bird is evidently
disturbed and fuses around consid-
erably before making sure it is her
egg. But finally she will decide
it to be hers and settles on it. If
the egg is removed eighteen inches
from the spot where she left il. the
bird is absolutely at a loss. She
cannot indentify her egg and will
pay no attention to it. Having
found her way back over the POO
miles,s she cannot correct the little
error caused by the lS-inch remov-
al.
Next the experiment is tried of
cutting down bushes or any land
marks near the egg and smoothing
the sand thus changing the general
appearance of the surroundings
This makes no difference. 1t does
not fool the bird. She identities
the egg if it is left in the same
place.
Next the professor builds a little
tower twelve feet high and ~elevates
the egg from the spot where it
was. The bird returns and is a
little surprised to find the egg SO
far up in the air but has no diff.
Guilty in deciding that it is her
egg and matches it sitting on the
tower. But before the chick
matches. in another experiment the
professor removes the tower and
puts the egg again on the surface.
The bird, having been away and re.
turning looks for the egg at n spot
up in the air twelve feet above the
ground, flutters around in a very
disturbed manner at not finding il
there gradually and reluctantly
settles down to the surface of the
earth and cares for the egg there.
For a period OF two weeks, every
time the bird returns 10 the nest il
will llutter up in the air where
the tower formerly was, looking in
that spot for the egg, but by that
time she becomes resigned to find