x SOME EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS 231 



My experiments gave the affirmative instance, and the 

 negative is required. But the reasons for holding as a 

 probable inference that my animals were guided by what 

 they saw are briefly these. There was in nearly all the 

 experiments which succeeded (and most did succeed) 

 a certain point at which a well marked change of attitude 

 took place. This point varied, from the second trial to 

 the seventh or eighth, and once or twice it was still longer 

 delayed. Before this point, the efforts were of a random 

 character ; not purposeless, indeed, but directed towards 

 getting the foods by the methods natural or habitual to the 

 animal. At a certain point it became clear that the 

 animal was abandoning these methods, and adopting mine. 

 The transition was more or less clearly marked, in accord- 

 ance with the nature of the thing to be done. Where 

 that was something very definite, the transition was 

 striking and conspicuous. Such, for example, was Jack's 

 first experiment with the string, where he began by leaping 

 up and pawing wildly, and after once seeing the card 

 pulled, took the string neatly in his teeth, and pulled it 

 down. Other conspicuous instances with Jack were the 

 spike experiment, in which, from general biting at spike, 



it. Then, taking , to reverse the process, showing it to the son, and 

 leaving the mother to find it out. For both dogs, each trial was to be 

 limited to 30 seconds, and, upon a series of experiments, it would appear 

 whether the tricks shown were upon the average learnt in fewer trials 

 than the tricks not shown. By this method of alternation I hoped to 

 eliminate the differences of quality between the two animals. My experi- 

 ment failed, because neither animal was sufficiently successful to give 

 tangible results. The older collie would pay no attention at all to what 

 she was shown, but merely looked to her master, and begged him to do 

 the thing for her. I only succeeded in teaching her (by showing) to 

 scratch open a lid ; and I am bound to say that, having once got the 

 method, she applied it to a quite different box intelligently enough, always 

 turning the box rapidly round till she found her scratching succeeding. 

 In fact, she was not wanting in intelligence, but in initiative. So marked 

 was this that when, in despair, I gave her a tin, which, as I held it, could 

 not fail to open if once scratched at, and which the young dog accordingly 

 scratched open at once, she made no effort till shown it several times. It 

 was after learning this that she was taught to scratch open the lid of the 

 other two boxes. The young dog was much more lively, and inclined to 

 attempt things. He learnt rapidly (by showing) to open a box by the 

 lever, throwing it upwards with his nose ; and also more slowly (when 

 shown) to push back a lid with his nose. But the matter could not finally 

 be decided without employing at least a dozen dogs or cats. At best, I 

 do not think that perception of results would, except in difficult tricks, 

 counterbalance any marked difference in intelligence or initiative. 



