i go Animal Intelligence 



sions and impulses. But our interpretation of these results 

 should not be too hasty. We must first consider several 

 other possible explanations of the rapidity of learning 

 by the monkeys before jumping to the conclusion that the 

 forces which bring about the sudden formation of associa- 

 tions in human beings are present. 



First of all it might be that the difference was due to the 

 superiority of the monkeys in clear detailed vision. It 

 might be that in given situations where associations were 

 to be formed on the basis of smells, the cats and dogs 

 would show similar rapid learning. There might be, that is, 

 no general difference in type of mental functioning, but 

 only a special difference in the field in which the function 

 worked. This question can be answered by an investigation 

 of the process of forming associations in connection with 

 smells by dogs and cats. Such an investigation will, I 

 hope, soon be carried on in the Columbia Laboratory by 

 Mr. Davis. 1 



Secondly, it might be that the superior mobility and more 

 detailed and definite movements of the monkeys' hands 

 might have caused the difference. The slowness in the 

 case of the dogs and cats might be at least in part the result 

 of difficulty in executing movements, not in intending them. 

 This difficulty in execution is a matter that cannot be readily 

 estimated, but the movements made by the cats and dogs 

 would not on their face value seem to be hard. They were 

 mostly common to the animals' ordinary life. At the same 

 time there were certain movements (e.g. depressing the 

 lever) which were much more quickly associated with their 

 respective situations by the cats than others were, and if 

 we could suppose that all the movements learned by the 

 monkeys were comparable to these few, it would detract 



is, I regret, was not done [E. L. T., 1911]. 



