298 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



3. There was a firmly established trough-food association of some 

 kind. 



4. Individual differences were strongly marked. 



5. This as a whole obscured and complicated the problem of 

 relative individual mental superiority. 



6. Gulls in confinement have not proved themselves of a high 

 order of intelligence. As compared with the crow they were absolute 

 " duffers." 



EXPEEIMENTS TO TeST THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE CeOW UNDER CERTAIN 



Conditions. 



These were begun on April 28th, i.e., about five weeks after the 

 last operation on the cerebrum, none having been made previously. 



It was proposed to note tlie bird's reaction to a colour-food stimu- 

 lus, as, perhaps, the test may be designated. For this purpose the 

 following simple* mechanism was arranged: On a piece of thin board 

 five and a half inches square were fastened immovably and parallel to 

 each other, two inches apart, two cardl)oard boxes (in which packets 

 of litmus paper- had been kept). Each measured 2-J- x 2-| x ^ inch; 

 one was blue and the other red. At first an attempt was made to 

 apply the tests in the morning before the bird had been fed, but he 

 was so utterly wild that everything was thrown about and discriminating 

 observation impossible ; but by allowing him to feed moderately better 

 results we/e obtained. Food was put now in one box, now in another, 

 ?o that the bird might learn if he would the box-food combination. 

 The apparatus was laid in his cage in front of his perch so that he 

 could readily see and equally readily pick up the food placed in one 

 or other box. On- two successive days the food was placed in the red 

 box and left uncovered. After this the food was always covered by 

 paper of the same colour as the box itself, and this filled rather closely, 

 so that it was not possible to see under it from the sides. 



The results were 'as follows : For three days the bird not being 

 previously fed on the same morning, it was found absolutely impossible 

 to make observations of any special value, though they Avere attempted, 

 but on the fourth and later days when there had been previous feeding, 

 tlie following notes were taken : — " May 4th : Food placed in the red 

 box, each being covered with paper of its own colour and so placed 

 tlmt the red was on the left side of the observer when facing the cage. 

 The crow took the blue paper off with his beak, but pecked Just after 

 at the red paper. He soon pecked again at the red paper and 

 attempted to looh underneath it. In this case his interference had 



