TABLE XI. POSITION, COLOR AND FORM ASSOCIATION
| Total | ||||||
| Right | Right choices from series 1 to series 5[215] | |||||
| Choices[214] | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Position | 57.9% | 54.2% | 55.6% | 56.9% | 63.2% | 59.0% |
| Color | 35.3% | 16.2% | 29.7% | 37.0% | 42.7% | 51.6% |
| Form | 29.8% | 17.4% | 26.4% | 34.7% | 35.3% | 35.3% |
If we compare the results obtained in these three experiments (see Table XI and Fig. 7), we shall see that the pigeons were governed much more by the position of the food-box than by either its color or its form, and that color was better associated than form. Position was a most important factor throughout, as was observed also by Porter[216] in the case of the English sparrow. Porter[217] also found that his sparrows could associate color better than form. In the position-tests the pigeons showed very little improvement from series to series (see table); almost all that the animals could learn was acquired at the beginning. The more difficult color- and form-trials, however, showed almost constant improvement, although we should have expected this to be greater in the latter case than it was. When judged entirely by the actual number of right choices in a given kind of tests, some of the birds made a very poor showing; but from the standpoint of increasing number of right choices they appeared in a wholly different light.
Thus, for example, bird F (Table VII) made only 33 right choices in a possible 120, yet their arrangement is significant, being, from series 1 to series 5, respectively, 1, 5, 7, 10, 10. It is probable that there would have been still greater improvement had the tests been continued; perhaps the animal would have become as proficient in finding its food by depending upon the color of the receptacle usually containing it, as by relying upon the position of the box in the group.
FIG. 7. Position, Color, and Form Association. If line S represent tests of a given kind, P, C, and F would represent, respectively, the number of correct choices of position, color, and form. The rate of learning in each case is shown by the corresponding curves to the right, where vertical divisions each indicate 20%, and horizontal divisions the successive series in which the tests were given.