x SOME EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS 211 



I tried my cat with the milk jug once or twice only, but 

 without effect. I then gave him several lessons with a 

 tumbler, inverted over meat, also without effect. He per- 

 sistently tried to claw at the carpet, or to smell at the 

 bottom of the tumbler. Miss Vernon's cat Balbus be- 

 haved in the same way. 



1 now substituted for the tumbler a little bronze tripod, 

 which was more easily upset because it stuck in the carpet. 

 The cat soon learned to upset this, apparently by seeing it 

 done, and afterwards extended the act to other objects. 



I upset it, by pushing at the top, six times. The seventh time l 

 the cat turned it over deliberately with its paw at the top, and 

 repeated this six times. 



The next day, the cat still failed with the glass, but repeated 

 its success with the tripod. 2 A tall vase was then substituted. 

 The cat put its paw round, and moved the vase, finally managing 

 to push it away from the meat. A short silver candlestick was 

 then substituted, being inverted over the meat. This the cat 

 pushed with paw or nose, either pulling it away or knocking it 

 over, seven times in succession. But when the candlestick was 

 set upright, and the meat put under its broad, flat bottom, the cat 

 failed to turn it over. Next day, he turned the candlestick over 

 twice, and when set upright managed to move it away. I now 

 took a china vase again, and first gave it him upright ; he put his 

 paw right down, and managed to reach the fish, at the same time 

 upsetting the vase. I then reversed the vase. He tried to get 

 the fish by moving it along, so I lightly held the vase over it, 

 whereupon he put his paw round it higher up, and turned it over. 

 At the next trial, he repeated this at once. 



This success seemed to be originally due to perception 

 of results. There was no movement in the original efforts 

 of the cat at all resembling those which I showed him. 

 There was the tentative pawing of the fifth trial, which 

 suggested that the u idea " was half formed. Then came 

 the definite success of the seventh trial, followed by an 

 unbroken series of successes. 



In strong contrast with the performance of Tim was 



1 At the fifth trial, the cat put its paw gently to the top and side of the 

 tripod, as though half making up its mind to give a push. Otherwise it 

 merely smelt about, and made no effort. 



2 It knocked it down first with its head, but the tripod being replaced, 

 knocked it down again with paw. 



P 2 



