106 THE HUMANIZING OF THE BRUTE. 



scores of cases recorded show no such phenomenon. The 

 cat does not look over the situation, much less think 

 it over, and then decide what to do. It bursts out at 

 once into the activities which instinct and experience have 

 settled on as suitable reactions to the situation, 'confine- 

 ment when hungry with food outside. ' " 1 ) 



The second fact which is brought to undeniable 

 evidence by Mr. Thorndike's experiments is the fol- 

 lowing: Animals are incapable of learning by imita- 

 tion such associations as would imply on their part the 

 understanding of the finality of actions. Of the many 

 experiments which Prof. Thorndike describes we 

 mention only one or the other. 



Eight chicks were successively put in a box, where 

 they were left alone from sixty to eighty seconds. 

 Then another chick which knew how to get out was 

 introduced with each of them into the box, and upon 

 its performing the act both were allowed to escape. 

 No cases, as Thorndike expressly states, were counted 

 unless the imitator clearly saw the other do the thing. 

 Besides, it was evident, that the imitators wanted to 

 get out when left alone. The result of the numerous 

 experiments is as follows: Chick No. 84 saw its com- 

 panion escape 129 times, but failed completely to imi- 

 tate it. Similarly chick No. 85 failed after 30 trials, 

 chick No. 86 after 44 trials, No. 87 after 26, No. 80 

 after 54 trials, etc. 



Only one, No. 82, performed the act: but this was 

 accidental. Thorndike says: "I have no hesitation 

 in declaring 82's act in stepping on the platform the 



!) I.e., p. 45. 



