Cole, Intelligence of Raccoons. 233 



The box had two compartments separated orrly by a partition 

 of poultry wire. The imitator facing this partition was near the 

 door so that it was possible for him to see the work of No. i, 

 in opening it. No. 4 first failed in three minutes. She was then 

 put in the imitator's compartment while No. i opened the door 

 18 times. No. 4, however, did not see him do it. She was put 

 in the same compartment with No. i and still I could never be cer- 

 tain that she saw his acts. She was then held and saw the experi- 

 menter open the door during several series often trials each. She 

 continued to fail when left to try alone. Subsequently, I held the 

 animal so that he certainly saw the work of the raccoon he was to 

 imitate. When the door was opened both came out and were fed. 

 No. 4, No. 3 and No. 2 did not learn to open the door from see- 

 ing No. I do it or from seeing the experimenter do it. 



As a further test of imitation I taught No. 2 to claw the small 

 block out of theopeninginthetopof B0X17. No. i was t':en given 

 opportunity to learn by imitating. No. 2. He did not watch No. 

 2's work. He was then held so that he could not fail to see it. 

 After this he followed No. 2 to the box each time and soon learned 

 to dive into the box as soon as No. 2 pulled out the block and get 

 the food before No. 2 could do so. Left to open the box for him- 

 self, he did not even goto it. He was then held and saw the experi- 

 menter remove the block three times. Then he began to claw at 

 the block while it was being removed. He did this twice more 

 and then was perfect in the performance of the act. 



No. 3 failed after four minutes to remove the block though he 

 clawed at it somewhat. Apple was then placed in the box and 

 he was loosed just in time to see the experimenter remove the block. 

 He reached in and got the apple. This was repeated ten times. 

 He then clawed out the block instantly though it had been put 

 in tightly. No. 4, however, did as well with no chance to imitate. 

 Evidently the act is too easy to learn to be ot much value as a test 

 of imitative ability. 



The card-displayer, however, afforded a more difficult task than 

 I would have planned for the animals deliberately. Alter having 

 had some six weeks of experience m distinguishmg a black from a 

 white card and in distinguishing complementary colors, each of the 

 four raccoons developed a tendency to reach over the iront board 

 of the apparatus and claw up the colored cards. This tendency 

 was encouraged and finally they would claw up the right (food) 



