i6o 



THE SOCIAL LIFE OF ANIMALS 



vidual aquaria, four sets of paired goldfish, two lots 

 of four placed together, and one group of eight in 

 one aquarium. As shown by the graph, there was a 



Fig. 31. Feeding a fish which has just come through 

 the opening from the larger side of the aquarium. (From 

 Welty.) 



marked group effect on the rate of learning. The 

 speed of first performance of the untrained fishes was 

 most rapid with eight present and slowest with iso- 

 lated goldfish. In the early days of rapid learning the 

 same order held. This experiment was repeated sev- 

 eral times with identical results. Under these condi- 

 tions there seems to be little doubt but that the 



