220 T^he Dancing Mouse 



than either A or B, labyrinth C was devised. As is shown 

 in the plan of this maze, Figure 27, five mistakes in choice 

 of path were possible on the forward trip. These errors, as 

 a rule, were more difficult for the dancers to avoid than those 

 of labyrinths A and B. Those which are designated by the 

 numerals 2, 3, and 4 were especially difficult. Error 4 

 was much more troublesome for left whirlers than for right 

 whirlers because, after turning around abruptly at the entrance 

 to the blind alley, the former type of dancer almost always 

 followed the side wall of the maze so far that it missed the 

 correct path. Undoubtedly the various errors are not of the 

 same value for different individuals ; but it would be extremely 

 difficult, if not impossible, to devise a maze which should 

 be equally difficult for several normal individuals. 



In order that records of the path followed by a mouse in 

 test after test might be kept with ease and accuracy by the 

 experimenter, the plan of this labyrinth, and also that of 

 labyrinth D, were cast in rubber. The outlines of -labyrinths 

 C and D which appear in Figures 27 and 28 respectively were 

 made with the rubber stamps which were thus obtained. 

 Figure 27 is the reproduction of a record sheet which presents 

 the results of the first, the fifth, the tenth, and the eleventh 

 tests of No. 2 in labyrinth C. The path followed by this 

 individual in the first test was far too complex to be traced 

 accurately on the record sheet. The record therefore repre- 

 sents merely the number of errors which was made in each 

 region of the maze. For the fifth test, and again for the tenth 

 and the eleventh, the path was recorded accurately. This 

 simple device for making record blanks which can readily 

 be filled in at the time of the experiment should recom- 

 mend itself to all students of animal behavior. 



In labyrinth C ten pairs of dancers were given continuous 

 training tests at the rate of one test per minute until they were 



