. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. SUN COMPASS ORIENTATION OF PIGEONS 313 pigeon about two hours to learn. Then the bird had to learn to peck at a disc in one particular compass direction (the training direction). Only correct choices activated the rewarding mechanism. This took a pigeon several weeks to learn. During training the cage was irregularly rotated; during the final stages of train- ing, rotation was according to a random number table (the Rand Corporation, 1955) with a range of 1-10 or 5-15 positions. For the training, the apparatus and the birds
. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. SUN COMPASS ORIENTATION OF PIGEONS 313 pigeon about two hours to learn. Then the bird had to learn to peck at a disc in one particular compass direction (the training direction). Only correct choices activated the rewarding mechanism. This took a pigeon several weeks to learn. During training the cage was irregularly rotated; during the final stages of train- ing, rotation was according to a random number table (the Rand Corporation, 1955) with a range of 1-10 or 5-15 positions. For the training, the apparatus and the birds were transported to various open places in the immediate vicinity of. FIGURE 1. Perspective section view of the training apparatus. Six of the twelve black pecking discs are shown above their sockets which house the micro switches. Netting, through which the birds peck at the discs, lines the circular framework around the discs; other netting covers its top. In the center of the upper platform the food cup is indicated. Underneath the upper platform, brushes (hatched) are shown in contact with metal rings centered on the base through which the rewarding is operated. Six of the twelve contacts are depicted in the base (Nos. 6-11) and two of the twelve brushes subtending from the upper platform to contacts Nos. 6 and 11. For more details see text. Duke University where the apparatus was set up on top of a pickup truck. At other times the birds were housed in an aviary at the Duke Forest lofts. Five pigeons, offspring of the Wilhelmshaven strain bred at Duke University, were subjected to directional training on May 2, 1961; the training continued through mid-September, 1961, with 3-4 training sessions per week. The training- direction was to the south. The training time varied between 8:45 and 14:45 true local time (Fig. 2). In each session, each bird was allowed to work for about 20 minutes. From June 15, 1961, on, each bird had to perform 5 unre- warded choices, from July 1 on,
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlilliefrankrat, booksubjectbiology, booksubjectzoology
