THE EFFECT OF ADDED LOADS UPON THE GEOTROPIC ORIENTATION OF YOUNG GUINEA PIGS

Abstract

It has been found that young guinea pigs when progressing over a surface inclined at an angle α with the horizontal, orient upward in a way such that the path described by an oriented animal is at a mean angle θ with the base of the inclined surface. The magnitude of mean θ increases as the angle of inclination α increases. The function relating θ and α is compound, being made up of two sections with a break which corresponds to a change in the mode of progression of an animal over the surface of the plane. If a load of constant relative mass is attached to the back of an animal, midway between the fore and hind legs, testing on an inclined surface reveals the fact that the magnitude of mean θ is increased over the entire range of stimulation, with the two values of mean θ (i.e. with and without added load) becoming more nearly equal as they approach 90° as a limiting value. The variation (P.E. of mean θ) is not sensibly changed by attaching a load to an orienting animal; for equal magnitudes of θ, under the two sets of test conditions, the P.E.'s are very nearly equal.