io6 



The Dancing Mouse 

 TABLE 8 CONTINUED 



dark. But whatever the basis of the preference, it is clear 

 that it must be taken account of in the visual discrimination 

 experiments, for an individual which strongly preferred 

 black might choose correctly, to all appearances, in its first 

 black-white series. Such a result would demonstrate pref- 

 erence, and therefore one kind of discrimination, but not 

 the formation of a habit of choice by discrimination. The 

 preference for black is less marked in the second series of 

 tests because the mouse as it becomes more accustomed to 

 the experiment box tends more and more to be influenced by 

 other conditions than those of brightness. The record sheets 

 for both series almost invariably indicate a strong tendency 

 to continue to go to the left or the right entrance according 

 to the way by which the animal escaped the first time. This 

 cannot properly be described as visual choice, for the mouse 

 apparently followed the previous course without regard to 

 the conditions of illumination. We have here an expression 

 of the tendency to the repetition of an act. It is only after 



