Page:American Journal of Psychology Volume 21.djvu/52

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42
PORTER

that the changed conditions cause the time to be longer. In fact it was noted at the time that such was the case.

Aside from showing how well they remember, this memory series shows some very interesting happenings. How they remember is even more significant. For the 5th test I inad- vertently placed the food-pan behind the door instead of just inside the wire from the niche where the strings were placed. The male Bluebird at once made six trials on the door where there were no strings. I then interrupted long enough to place the food-pan in its old place and he immediately alighted on the wire between the strings. Are we then to infer that he has been primarily alighting in a certain place and rather as an ac- companiment of this place association he has through no definite intent of his been pushing the strings in or down and opening the door? The greater number of efforts than we should expect in the last part of the initial test series belongs with this sort of association and really should have prepared us for the fact just mentioned.

Table IX Memory tests for Bluebirds. One month interval.