THE LEARNING OF A MAZE BY GOLDFISH 



249 



one side of the tank. In the partition between compartments 

 No. 2 and No. 3 the opening was at the bottom and within 

 6.8 cm. of the side of the tank opposite to the opening of the 

 first partition. With one group of fish the openings were bor- 

 dered by a black pasteboard band 2.5 cm. in width attached 

 by wire clips to the partition on the side nearer the end of. the 



c 



E 



B 



D F 



Figure 1. Diagram of the maze with the compartments 1, 2 and 3. AB, sur- 

 face of the water. CD and EF, the partitions. G and H, the openings for 

 the passage of the fish. The food was placed at X and the fish at O. The 

 line of arrows represents the shortest possible route through the maze. 



tank where the food was placed. The light was furnished by 

 a 40-watt Mazda lamp suspended over the center of the tank 

 at a distance of one meter above the surface of the water. The 

 •food was placed in compartment No. 3, on the surface of the 

 water, midway of the glass forming the end of the tank and 

 touching the glass where it would remain until found by the 

 fish. The observer sat either near the end of the tank where 

 the food was placed or at a point entirely removed from the 

 range of vision of the fish. 



The fish were given preliminary trials with no partitions in 

 the maze. At the expiration of about a week the fish would 

 come fairly regularly and take the food which they found by 

 the sense of sight. The partitions were then put in and daily 

 trials started. The procedure was as follows: Sunlight was 

 excluded from the room and the light turned on. About fifteen 

 minutes were allowed to elapse in order to give an opportunity 

 for the fish to become adapted to the light. A square of food 

 was placed in the position described above. Then fish No. 1, 

 e.g., was lifted from its pen by means of a small net and placed 

 gently in the center of compartment No. 1. The time was 

 noted at that instant. The fish was watched until it had swum 



