300 Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology. 



Part I. The Associative Processes of the Guinea Pig. 



From tne literature we can glean very little concerning 

 guinea pigs in the feral state. Originally from South America, 

 they were brought to Europe for pets soon after the discovery 

 of the new world. They were first named, pictured and de- 

 scribed by Gesner in hi.s Natural History Folio. ^ Gesner 

 knew it as "indische Kaninchen," or "indis'bhe Schweinchen," 

 indicating the current belief that its home was a part of Asia. 

 Many other names were applied to it in the first descriptions. 

 Alfred Brehm calls it "Huf-pfotler" (hoof- or claw-footed). 



The pets brought ta England were smooth, short-haired 

 and slender, and are now known as English cavies, or common 

 guinea pigs. When they were interbred with different varieties 

 in the London Zoological Garden, and with the French cavy, 

 other breeds were produced, and there are now four varieties 

 recognized by fanciers — the English, Abyssinian, Angora and 

 Peruvian cavies.' 



The variety used in this investigation was the English 

 cavy, though individuals of all varieties have been under obser- 

 vation without giving evidence of any characteristic differences 

 in habits or intelligence. In one case a series of experiments 

 was made with a solid red Peruvian (probably not of pure 

 stock, however), and numerous minor experiments were made 

 with other varieties. No difference was found between them 

 and the common guinea pig. 



/. Habits of Guinea Pigs. 



So far as we have been able to observe, all or nearly all the 

 activities of guinea pigs may be termed instinctive, since they 

 are present from birth and hence are carried out without pre- 

 vious training or experience.'^ Certain characteristic modes of 



' Gesner. Appendix historiae quadrupedum viviparorum Conradi Gesneri 

 Tigurini, Zurich, 1554. 



^ Mrs. Stanley Walker Mirick, "All About Cavies," published by Awc-r. 

 ican Stockkeeper, Boston, 190 1. 



^ Lloyd Morgan. Animal Behavior, pp. 63-71, 190:. 



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