214 



The Dancing Mouse 



fraction of the number of tests to which the dancer had been 

 subjected sufficed to establish a habit of escape in the com- 

 mon mouse. It is evident, therefore, that the dancer differs 

 radically from the common mouse in its behavior in a maze, 

 and it is also clear that the labyrinth method, if it is to be 

 used to advantage, must be adapted to the motor tendencies 

 of the animal which is to be tested. 



TABLE 37 

 RESULTS OF LABYRINTH-A TESTS WITH COMMON MICE 



The behavior of the dancer made obvious two defects in 

 labyrinth A. Its passages are so large that the mouse is 

 constantly tempted to dance, and it lacks the basis for a 

 strong and constant motive of escape by the direct path. To 

 obviate these shortcomings labyrinth B was constructed, as 

 is shown in Figures 23 and 24, with very narrow passages, 

 and a floor which was covered with the wires of an interrupted 

 electric circuit so that errors might be punished. The length 



