POSSIBLE ROLE OF THE HARDERIAN-GLAND IN C HEMICAL COMMUNICATION OF THE SYRIAN-HAMSTER (MESOCRICETUS-AURATUS WATERHOUS, 1839)

The hypothesis was tested on involvement of the Harderian gland in che mical communication of the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), a sp ecies in which smelling plays a leading role in initiation of many for ms of social behavior. Experiments have been carried out, in which hom o- and heterospecific olfactory stimuli were presented to recipients ( adult males, n = 45). When the Harderian gland homogenates from males and females of the same species were presented in microtubes, the reci pient males examine the female Harderian gland homogenates reliably lo nger. In an ''open field'' chamber the males spent more time near the box with the sawdust bedding from intact females than with the sawdust bedding from males or Harderectomized females. The control box was of least interest to them. When the immobile model was presented the fre quency of behavioral elements of the male recipients characteristic of the reaction to a female decreased while that of elements typical for the reaction to a male increased in a sequence: female - male with ap plied vaginal secretory substance - male with the applied female Harde rian gland homogenate - male. When the Harderian gland homogenates fro m the Syrian hamster and Campbell hamster female were presented, the h omospecific stimulus was examined longer. Thus, the Harderian glands o f the Syrian hamster produce olfactory stimuli with an attractive effe ct and containing information about species and sex. Besides, the Hard erian gland homogenate masks the smell of an immobile male and stimula tes, to some extent, elements of sexual behavior.