THE CHICAGO EXPERIMENTS WITH RACCOONS 165 



It is interesting to observe how very "similar to the memory 

 idea" is this "intra-organic factor." It is a residual effect of 

 a sensory stimulus. It may be retained and revived, is selective, 

 etc. Elsewhere (p. 69), he describes this factor as "Some 

 unknown intra-organic cue non-observable by the experimenter. 

 Our data prove conclusively that some such cue was utilized 



by the raccoons and the children, the nature of such a 



factor must necessarily be defined at present in negative terms." 

 When this statement was written it evidently had not occurred 

 to Hunter to place this negative thing in the positive category 

 of imageless thought. His experiments were completely described 

 before reaching this point. Hence, it seems to me that imageless 

 thought was an afterthought, as an explanation. 



On the second page of the paper we find this significant state- 

 ment. "In the interpretative discussion at the close of the 

 present monograph, we shall be confronted with the possibility 

 that images or ideas may have guided the reactions of the subjects. 

 In discussion, we shall assume that there is no necessity that 

 psychology postulate such a representative factor save where 

 successful reactions occur in the absence of the stimulus (object) 

 or movement represented." So images may have been present. 

 Yet throughout his references to my paper Hunter complains 

 that I did not reach a proof of the presence of images. When 

 his experiments were completed, he seems to be in much the same 

 position. Just how an experimenter can give proof that animals 

 remember or think, even in imageless thought, I am quite unable 

 to guess. I thought that my animals gave evidence of possessing 

 visual memory. Hunter's experiments strengthen this opinion 

 of mine very much. 



Like Brehm and all subsequent observers of the raccoon, 

 Hunter has noted the fly-catching activities of this animal. He 

 consequently accords to the "Waschbar" the possession of acute 

 vision. In this he agrees with my report. 7 



Errors: On page eighteen, in re-describing some of my 

 experiments, Hunter says, "a block with a steeple was placed 

 in a hole," etc. With absolute confidence I must assure the 

 psychological public that I used no "steeple" in my apparatus. 



7 Cole, Lawrence W. Observations of the senses and instincts of the raccoon. 

 Jour, of Animal Behavior, 1912, 2, 302. 



