198 MIND IN EVOLUTION CHAP. 



Box turned with lid up. 



After some exploring of side, kitten pushes lid up. 

 It will be seen that the cat also acquired the double movement 

 (clawing door open after pulling out bolt) after two trials. 



The bolt trick seems important. In Jack's case it 

 could be done by blundering strength, but it would seem 

 that the cat had to know pretty clearly what to do, and 

 how to do it, before he could succeed. 



The bolt trick was also taught to two elephants. The 

 box used was broadly similar, except that the bolt was 

 made of iron and the lid of the box was opened with a 

 knob. The first elephant, an old female named Sally, was 

 taught in my presence by the keeper. As the box was 

 placed for the lid to open upwards, three movements were 

 necessary (i) to pull out the bolt ; (2) to pull up the 

 lid by the knob ; (3) to get the trunk under the lid to 

 prevent it falling again. This last was physically no easy 

 matter. The method used by the very experienced keeper, 

 Mr. Lawrence, was that of taking the trunk in his hand 

 and guiding it, teaching his elephant the whole trick stage 

 by stage. 



The bolt was virtually learnt at the seventh trial, but the com- 

 bined movement was not perfect till after the fortieth trial on the 

 third day. Sally showed some intelligence in trying to meet the 

 difficulty of the falling lid trying, for example, to throw it right 

 back, but I doubt if she would have had the patience to get it 

 perfect without guidance. 



I now began to teach a young elephant inappropriately 

 called Lily. 



Lily is ten years old, and not much taller than I , am. In 

 teaching her, two or three points have to be kept in mind. Her 

 trunk is ceaselessly in motion, groping about everything outside 

 her cage, frequently about the pockets of her teacher. There is 

 therefore a large proportion of random movement which some- 

 times contributed to success, and sometimes to failure, and in any 

 case leaves a large field open for accident. Again, her eyes are a 

 long way ofF, and one cannot tell what she is looking at. She is, 

 I regret to say, a very impatient pupil, and apt to get excessively 

 annoyed when she fails in an experiment. On these occasions, 

 like a monkey, but unlike other animals that I have taught, she 



