Abstract
C. J. PENNYCUICK1, discussing the physical possibility of an estimate of the change in azimuth of a celestial object by a bird, says : “Birds very often fly round in circles whilst orienting, and therefore cannot have their eyes stabilized in azimuth. The change in azimuth can therefore be measured only by reference to a fixed object [sic], when the bird is stationary on the ground. Over the sea it is not physically possible to measure it at all without some kind of compass. However, birds do navigate over the sea. Hence Matthews' hypothesis as it stands is untenable”. Again in his summary: “Matthews' hypothesis … is rejected on the grounds of physical impossibility of making one of the measurements,…”.
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References
Pennycuick, C. J., J. Exp. Biol., 37, 573 (1960).
Matthews, G. V. T., “Bird Navigation” (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1955).
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PUMPHREY, R. Sun Navigation by Birds. Nature 188, 1127 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/1881127a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1881127a0
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