3o6 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



SEA-LIONS PASSING HATS FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. 



When Captain Woodward called at the di- 

 rector's office he was good enough to explain 

 the methods by which he secured his remark- 

 able results in seal-training. 



Seals have plenty of brain capacity, and 

 Captain Woodward is of the opinion that they 

 can be still more highly trained. 



When questioned as to his methods of con- 

 trol he said that good results could be secured 

 only through a constant appeal to the appetite 

 of the animal. Each success it scores in per- 

 forming is at once rewarded with a piece of 

 fish. In teaching, for instance, the balancing 

 and bouncing of the large air-filled ball, the 

 latter is first thrown at the seal's head with the 

 idea of inducing it to toss it up with the nose. 

 This is tried repeatedly until the animal hap- 

 pens by accident to do what the trainer wishes, 

 when it is promptly fed. The efforts to make 

 the creature understand what is wanted are 

 continued patiently until the ideas of ball-play 

 and food are associated in its mind. After 

 that progress is more rapid. Presently it 

 dawns on the animal that it can get food bv 



tossing the ball in the air. It gets constant 

 encouragement from the trainer in the way of 

 assistance in placing the ball and an encourag- 

 ing tone of voice is maintained. 



While seals can be restrained or made to 

 keep their places by judicious scolding or a 

 little threatening with the switch, an appeal 

 to the appetite of the animal is the main re- 

 liance in the teaching of tricks. 



It requires about three months' steady train- 

 ing to make seals comprehaid what is wanted 

 of them, and a year's training is necessary be- 

 fore the tricks can be performed in the best 

 manner. The period of training varies ac- 

 cording to the ability of the individual, some 

 animals being much brighter than others. 

 Thorough familiarity with their parts is nec- 

 essary before the animals can do good stage- 

 work. There are usually two or three seal 

 "understudies" that accompany the troupe out 

 upon the stage and seat themselves on pedes- 

 tals with which they are familiar. After a 

 time these mere onlookers become restless and 

 evince a desire to do something. They are 



