Page:American Journal of Psychology Volume 21.djvu/57

Rh their new position, place 2, and lastly seven in place i where he succeeded by reaching through the wire in the old place and pulling up the latch. But once during the remainder of fifteen trials did he make use of the strings. It is evident from the number of efforts during these final tests that it is the place which is firmly fixed, or associated, for he will make a great many efforts through the wire on the thread or projecting end of the latch rather than work [on the strings. These, too, have only been changed to the left of the door and they are very conspicuous.

We get, then, from this series proof of the ability of the Blue Jay to learn. This he may do somewhat more rapidly than some other birds, but really in very much the same way. As proof of imitation we get very little as compared with some of the other groups of birds. But in these instances there would seem to be that which one may sometimes get from negative results. This male Jay had no rival, he was not as cautious as the Old Crow and the male English Sparrow, and there were no long intervals of waiting as with the latter and the Cowbird.

Tests with Food-box on two male Baltimore Orioles, three Cowbirds, two males and one female, and two young English Sparrows.

At the beginning of the present series there was but one male Oriole present. The young English Sparrows, though they were partly reared by hand, were so wild that they did not approach the food-box at all in the early tests. It is true they could not be expected to cope successfully with the mature birds of the larger species, and yet if at all hungry they could at times take care of themselves surprisingly well.

During the first four trials, and once following this, one of the male Cowbirds opened the door. In this series these initial times are relatively short. This is probably due to the fact that the strings were rather easily worked and the birds rather hungrier than in some of the other series. The Cowbird's method was one somewhat peculiar to this bird, though not entirely so. He lifted one foot and clawed the lower strings. In the second test he must first fight off the Oriole. Close observation showed that the latter might be outclassed as a fighter, but would not necessarily be driven off. He would open his mouth, express his emotional state in rapidly succeeding cries, fall back on his haunches, and stand his ground. In the 4th trial the same Cowbird changed his method and used .his beak on the string.

In the 5th test the Oriole took his turn, but in an obviously