84 Animal Intelligence 



slight general factor in forming experience, but as a definite 

 associational process in the mind. The utter absence of 

 imitation in this limited sense is apparently demonstrated 

 by the results of the following experiments. 



V was a box 16 X 12 X 8j, with the front made of wire 

 screening and at the left end a little door held by a bolt but 

 in such a way that a sharp peck at the top of the door would 

 force it open. 



W was a box of similar size, with a door in the same place 

 fixed so that it was opened by raising a bolt. To this bolt 

 was tied a string which went up over the top of the edge of 

 the box and back across the box, as in D. By jumping up 

 and coming down with the head over this thread, the bolt 

 would be pulled up. The thread was 8| inches above the floor. 



X was a box of similar size, with door, bolt and string 

 likewise. But here the string continued round a pulley at 

 the back down to a platform in the corner of the box. By 

 stepping on the platform the door was opened. 



Y was a box 12 X 8 X 8j, with a door in the middle of the 

 front, which I myself opened when a chick pecked at a tack 

 which hung against the front of the box 1 1 inches above the 

 top of the door. 



These different acts, pecking at a door, jumping up and 

 with the neck pulling down a string, stepping on a platform, 

 and pecking at a tack, were the ones which various chicks 

 were given a chance to imitate. The chicks used were from 

 1 6 to 30 days old. The method of experiment was to put 

 a chick in, leave him 60 to 80 seconds, then put in another 

 who knew the act, and on his performing it, to let both 

 escape. No cases were counted unless the imitator ap- 

 parently saw the other do the thing. After about ten such 

 chances to learn the act, the imitator was left in alone for 

 ten minutes. The following table gives the results. The 



