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ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR, XIII, 4

THE ANALYSIS AND RECORDING OF THE INTENSITY OF BEHAVIOUR IN THE DOMESTIC DOG. ByT. J. PICKVANCE, Department of Extra-Mural Studies, University of Birmingham.

Measurements of the intensity of a response domestic dog, part of the pattern of response inhave the nature of vector quantities . They not the male to urine of the bitch in season wasonly show the magnitude and form but also in- analysed into 4 degrees of intensity : 2 of ol-dicate the orientation of the response . Thus they factory response (lower intensity) and 2 gustatoryare directed quantities . The notion of direction (higher intensity). By recording both the de-is implicit in terms such as "pattern" of be- grees and the duration of response on the samehaviour. The orientation of a short pattern of chart is was possible to show visually the in-behaviour can be determined by reference to the tensity of response . The results so obtained con-larger scale of events of which it is part which trasted with those obtained for out-of-seasonoriginates in appetitive activity and is com- urine. By using the same method it was shownpleted in consummation .

that certain areas of the integument of the bitchevoked marked olfactory responses in the dog .

For the purpose of bioassay in experiments to

These varied in intensity, sometimes unex-detect the presence of the sex attractant of the

pectedly .

AUTOMATIC RECORDING OF FOOD AND WATER CONSUMPTION IN RATS UNDER DIFFERINGEXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS. By W. H. WEIHE, Institut jilt Tierzucht, Universitat Zurich, Winterthurer Str. 260,

Zurich, Switzerland.An apparatus is described for the automatic sumption and to an increase of temperature with

recording of food and water consumption and a decreased food consumption . Therefore, therunning activity of a single rat kept in a normal morning body weight is higher after cool daysplastic cage without stress to the animal . The and lower after warm days than the averagetechnical data are published by W . H. Weihe & weight over a period of 10 days. The oppositeW. Bollinger (1964), Z . Versuchstierkd., 5, 38-45 . is seen when the rats have free access to the

Single rats were investigated for periods of running wheel . These rats run more and con-months under different environmental con- sume less food on cool days than on warm days ;ditions of temperature and humidity in a room their body weight is consequently lower afterwith the window open or closed, with and with- cool days and higher after warm days . Youngout free access to the running wheel . When the rats in a cage with no opportunity for physicalanimals are limited to the cage without access activity are forced to behave like old rats andto the running wheel they respond to a decrease thus show unphysiological metabolic behaviourof temperature with an increased food con-

pattern .

AIMS AND METHODS IN RECORDING THE ACTIVITY OF ANIMALS . By AUBREY MANNING, Departmentof Zoology, University of Edinburgh.

'Activity' is a difficult term which requiresqualification, because its measurement custom-arily involves recording how much an animalmoves about and locomotor activity is a com-mon factor of almost all behaviour. One im-portant question is whether the activity is'specific' or not, i .e . is it related to one or otherspecific motivation? Many animals become moreactive when deprived of food and oestrousfemale rats run more in activity wheels thanthose in dioestrous . Such activity appears to beboth spontaneous and goal-orientated and isreasonably considered as appetetive behaviour.

The heightened activity of animals suddenlyintroduced into a new environment is moredifficult to interpret. It is likely to be a com-pound of escape behaviour and exploration,and as the former tendency subsides the lattermay rise. The distinction is made more difficult

because novel stimuli will provoke both specificresponses and non-specific arousal .Measurements made on the same animals

with different types of activity recorders willsometimes help to separate out components ofactivity . In Drosophila there is little correlationbetween activity in an 'open field' type of appar-atus and one which measures the rate of dis-persion from a small chamber . In the cock-roach Nauphoeta cinerea there is no correlationbetween the scores of individuals in the openfield and those in an activity wheel . Activity inthe wheel which occurs only at night, is un-affected by hunger or thirst, but nymphs showcyclic changes and are least active just beforemoulting. It is possible that this regular activityis truly spontaneous and represents periodswhen the animal attempts to increase the stimu-lation which impinges upon it .