132 The Dancing Mouse 



inable, as was true, for example, in the case of the 'sound 

 tests, in certain of the Weber's law tests, and in the plain 

 electric-box tests, the period of hesitation rapidly increases 

 during the first three or four series of tests, then the mouse 

 seems to lessen its efforts to discriminate and more and more 

 tends to rush into one of the boxes without hesitation or 

 examination, and apparently with the expectation of a shock, 

 but with the intention of getting it over as soon as possible. 

 Now and then under such conditions there is a marked ten- 

 dency to enter the same box each time. Indiscriminable 

 conditions are likely to render the animals fearful of the ex- 

 periment ; instead of going from A to A willingly, they fight 

 against making the trip. They refuse to pass from A to B ; 

 and when in B, they fight against being driven toward the 

 entrances to the electric-boxes. 



In marked contrast with this behavior on the part of the 

 mouse under conditions which do not permit it to choose 

 correctly is that of the animal which has learned what is ex- 

 pected of it. The latter, far from holding back or fighting 

 against the conditions which urge it forward, is so eager to 

 make the trip that it sometimes has to be forced to wait while 

 the experimenter records the results of the tests. There is 

 evidence of delight in the freedom of movement and in the 

 variety of activity which the experiment furnishes. The 

 thoroughly trained dancer runs into B almost as soon as it 

 has been placed in A by the experimenter; it chooses the 

 right entrance by one of the three methods described above, 

 immediately, or after whirling about a few times in B; it 

 runs through E and back to A as quickly as it can, and al- 

 most before the experimenter has had time to record the 

 result of the choice it is again in B ready for another choice. 



