BEHAVIOR OF RACCOONS 



245 



for successful or unsuccessful reactions to this stimulus. The 

 experiment offered no means of punishing premature responses 

 in this series. 



Two raccoons were used in these experiments, a male, Jack, 

 and a female, Jill. These animals had been previously employed 

 in Hunter's experiments on Delayed Reaction. No factors 

 essential to the solution of the problem were carried over from 

 their previous training. The raccoons were docile, and, after 

 a preliminary period of feeding upon the table, manifested no 

 fear of the apparatus or experimenters. 



Figure 3. 



Jill in the act of feeding 



LEARNING SERIES 



The animals were taught to react to the positive series (W- 

 B-R) and to inhibit reactions to the negative series (R-R-R) 

 in the following manner: — (i), They were fed for one week 

 upon the experimental table to accustom them to the novel 

 surround'ngs. (2), They were now taught that food could be 

 obtained only through the screen opening (I) after mounting the 

 steps. (3), In two days they learned to respond whenever the 

 levers (without cards attached) were presented. The animals 

 reacted immediately to the first stimulus resulting from the 

 operation of the lever mechanism. (4), Color cards were at- 

 tached to the levers and only the positive series (W-B-R) was 

 presented. The animals were forced to delay their response 

 until the complete series was given. Food was withheld for 



