54 



E. L. THORNDIKE. 



These different acts, pecking at a door, jumping up and 

 with the neck pulling down a string, stepping on a platform, 

 and pecking at a tack, were the ones which various chicks were 

 given a chance to imitate. The chicks used were from i6 to 30 

 days old. The method of experiment w^as to put a chick in, 

 leave him 60 to 80 seconds, then put in another who knew the 

 act, and on his performing it, to let both escape. No cases were 

 counted unless the imitator apparently saw the other do the 

 thing. After about every ten such chances to learn the act, 

 the imitator was left in alone for ten minutes. The following 

 table gives the results. The imitators of course had previously 

 failed to form the association of themselves. F denotes failure 

 to perform the act : 



Thus out of all these cases only one did the act in spite of 

 the ample chance for imitation. I have no hesitation in declar- 

 ing 82's act in stepping on the platform the result of mere acci- 

 dent, and am sure that any one who had watched the experi- 



ments would agree. 



Imitation in Cats. 



By reference to the previous descriptions of apparatus, it 

 will be seen that box D was arranged wdth two compartments, 

 separated by a wire screen. The larger of these had a front 

 of wooden bars with a door which fell open when a string 

 stretched across the top was bitten or clawed down. The 

 smaller was closed by boards on three sides and by the wire 



