STUDIES ON THE MENTAL LIFE OF ANIMALS. 559 



We give below some of the opinions of these trainers. They do not 

 all agree, and besides they do not in any wa}^ impeach the very precise 

 and scientific experiments of Mr. Thorndike. 



Question 1. If you wanted to teach a horse to tap seven times with 

 his hoof when 3^ou asked him, "How many days are therein a week?" 

 would 3"ou teach him by taking his leg and making him go through 

 the motions^ 



A answered, "Yes, at first." 



B answered, "No; I would not." 



C answered, "At first, yes." 



D answered, "No." 



Question 2. Do you think \^ou could teach him that way, even if 

 naturall}^ 3^ou would take some other way? 



A answered, "In time, yes." 



B answered, "I think it would be a very hard way." 



C answered, "Certainly I do." 



D answered, "I do not think I could." 



E answered, "Yes." 



Question 3. How would you teach him? 



A answered, "I should tap his foot with a whip, so that he would 

 raise it, and reward him each time." 



B answered, "I should teach hiu] l)v the motion of the whip." 



C answered, '"First teach him by pricking his leg the number of 

 times you wanted his foot lifted." 



E answered ambiguously." 



Let us compare the investigations of Mr. Thorndike with observa- 

 tions made on the inhibition of instincts by habit. 



This phenomenon, very frequent among animals, has been noted ))v 

 previous psychologists, and nota))ly by William James in his Psy- 

 chology. In this the animal, being able to perform two acts, one of 

 which is simple and natural, the other imposed by habit, chooses the 

 latter. In the boxes which Mr. Thorndike used the hole by which 

 the animal was introduced Tyas usualh' covered, so that it was obliged 

 to go out at the door. Yet, after the association was once formed, 

 even if the hole was left uncovered, the animal continued to go 

 out at the door, although the opening of the latter was more difficult 

 for it. 



The influence of association upon the inhibition of instincts may be 

 exerted in two ways. Sometimes the instinct may wane by not being 

 used; sometimes it is inhibited for the moment by a contrar}' dispo- 

 sition. An instance of the former sort is found in the history of a 

 cat, which, when placed in a box like those we have indicated, learns 

 to open a door and escape. After enough trials, the board covering 



« Thorndike, loc. cit., pp. 71, 72. 



