JOURNAL OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR 



Vol. 2 



MARCH-APRIL, 1912. 



No. 2 



MODIFICATION OF THE INNATE BEHAVIOR OF 

 COCKROACHES > 



J. S. SZYMANSKI, Ph. D. 



From the Institute for Experimental Biology in Vie nun 



Four figures 



Graber's 2 experiments proved long ago that cockroaches, 

 Periplaneta orientalis L, avoid the light and seek the dark. 

 After having verified Graber's observations, I sought to change 



Figure 1. Apparatus for study of the modifiability of reaction to light in the 

 cockroach, a c, glass-box; d b, covered part of box; e and f, electrodes. 



the direction of movement by teaching them, by means of 

 the punishment method 3 to seek light and avoid darkness. 

 The apparatus used in these experiments is shown in Figure i. 



1 The writer begs to acknowledge his indebtedness to Mr. Przihrain, Director 

 of the Institute for Experimental Biology in Vienna, for many helpful sugges- 

 tions and criticisms. 



2 Graber, V. Grundlinien zur Erforschung des Helligskeits- und Farbensinnes 

 des Tiere. Frag. 1884, S. 147-157. 



3 Yerkes, R. M. The dancing mouse. New York. 1907, pp. 98-99. 



