In the construction of this large apparatus, it was necessary to make provision for the extremely destructive tendencies of monkeys and anthropoid apes,—­hence the apparent cumbersomeness of certain portions.  It was equally necessary to provide for the protection of the observer and the prevention of escape of the subjects by completely covering the apparatus and alleyways with a heavy wire netting.

Each of the eighteen doors of the multiple-choice boxes, and in addition doors 11, 12, and 15 of the runway D, were operated by the observer from his bench C by means of weighted window cords which were carried by pulleys appropriately placed above the apparatus.  Each weight was so chosen as to be just sufficient to hold its door in position after the experimenter had raised it.  For the convenience of the experimenter in the rapid operation of the twenty-one doors, the weights for the doors of runway D were painted gray, those for the entrance doors, white, and those for the exit doors, black.

In each entrance door, as is shown in figure 15 of plate IV, a window was cut so that the experimenter might watch the animal after it had entered a given box, and especially note when it left the box after having received its reward.  This window was covered with wire netting.  No such windows were necessary in the exit doors, but to them were attached heavy galvanized iron flanges which served to cover the food receptacles.  One of these flanges is labelled o in figure 17.  The food receptacles were provided by boring holes in a 2 by 4 inch timber securely nailed to the floor immediately outside of the exit doors.  Into these holes aluminum cups fitted snugly, and the iron flanges, when the doors were closed, fitted so closely over the cups that it was impossible for the animals to obtain food from them.

[Illustration:  FIGURE 17.—­Ground plan of multiple-choice apparatus in experiment room A. Scale 1/60

A, record stand; C, bench for observer; B, step as approach to C; D, alleyway leading to E, response-compartment; F, one of the nine (1-9) similar multiple-choice boxes; G, H, alleyways leading from boxes to starting point at D; I, alleyway used by experimenter as approach to rear of apparatus; W, W, windows; P, alleyway; Z, large cage; 16, entrance to room A; 17, entrance to apparatus and thence via 10 to cages; 18, entrance to alleyway 1; 11, 15, entrances to D; 12, entrance to E; 13, entrance door of box 5; 14, exit door of box 5; o, cover for food receptacle.]

As originally constructed, no provision was made in the apparatus for locking the entrance and exit doors of the several boxes when they were closed.  But as two of the subjects after a time learned to open the doors from either outside or inside the boxes, it became necessary to introduce locking devices which could be operated by the experimenter from the observation bench.  This was readily accomplished by cutting holes in the floor, which permitted an iron staple, screwed to the lower edge of each door, to project through the floor.  Through these staples by means of a lever for each of the nine boxes, the observer was able to slide a wooden bar, placed beneath the floor of the room, thus locking or unlocking either the entrance door, the exit door, or both, in the case of any one of the nine boxes.