268 NATURAL SCIENCE [October 



lished. On the fifth the ball was thrown so as to strike the other 

 or right side of the angle and thus be deflected in the opposite 

 direction. The dog followed the old course (the short cut to the 

 left) and was completely non-plussed, searching that side and not 

 finding the ball for eleven minutes. On repeating the experiment 

 thrice similar results were that day obtained. On the following 

 day the ball was thrown just ahead of him so as to strike to the 

 right of the angle and was followed and caught. This course 

 was pursued for three days, and he then learnt to take a short 

 cut to the right. On the next day the ball was sent, as at first, to 

 the left and the dog was again non-plussed. I have not yet 

 succeeded in getting him to associate a given difference of initial 

 direction with a resultant difference of deflection. And since these 

 words were written the dear little fellow has died. No doubt it 

 will be said by some fortunate possessor of a particularly rational 

 dog that my fox terrier was a fool. Let him experiment and 

 record the stages of progress, remembering that a rational being 

 will quickly and surely pierce to the heart of the mystery. 



I may here mention that whenever searching for a ball of which 

 he had lost sight in the road he would run along the gutter first on 

 one side and then on the other. A friend who was walking with me 

 one day regarded this as a clear case of rational inference. " The 

 dog knows," lie said, " the effects of the convex curvature of the 

 road as well as we do." I am convinced, however (having watched 

 his ways from a puppy), that this method of search was gradually 

 established on a basis of practical experience. No logical inference 

 on his part is necessary for the interpretation of the facts ; and we 

 should not assume its presence unless the evidence compels us 

 to do so. 



Such experiments carried out on a different method give results 

 in line with Mr Thorndike's. The conditions are more natural 

 which I regard as in some respects an advantage. But we need 

 experiments on different methods, — the more the better, — and if 

 the results they furnish are in accord, their correctness will be 

 rendered the more probable. I hope, however, that Mr Thorndike 

 will devise further experiments in which (1) the conditions shall be 

 somewhat less strained and straitened, while the subjects are in 

 a more normal state of equanimity (cannot " utter hunger " be 

 avoided ?), and (2) there shall be more opportunity for the exercise 

 of rational judgment, supposing the faculty to exist. To establish 

 the absence of foresight in the procedure of the cats, it is surely 

 necessary so to arrange matters that the connections are clearly 

 open — nay even obvious — to the eye of reason. It appears 

 to me that this consideration has not weighed sufficiently with 

 Mr Thorndike. 



