Abstract:

1. When an octopus is faced repeatedly with the situation crabattached-to-a-bar there are progressive changes in the characteristics of the attacks. 2. The total time to attack decreases and also the variation between times for attacks. 3. The reduction in time is due partly to reduction in the time of construction of the command before the animal emerges from the home ("first time delay"). 4. There is also an elimination of the slow initial part of the attacks that is at first present ("second time delay"). 5. There is little change in the duration or speed of the final dash by which the prey is captured ("the final pattern of acceleration") 6. The stage of learning reached is a function of the number of occasions of training and not of the number of days in the tank. 7. Days without food distort the learning curve but do not accelerate its progress. 8. The changes in line of attack are thus the expression of a positive learning process and not simply of "acclimatization" to the new environment. © 1963 Springer-Verlag.