Extreme limits of pitch discrimination with higher tones.

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Abstract
The conditioned salivary reflex to a tone produced by a low frequency oscillator was used to test the pitch discrimination in the upper range of frequencies. Two dogs responded differently to tones of 19,000 and 20,000 cycles per sec. Discrimination of a tone of 19,500 from a tone of 20,000 cycles per sec. was not absolute and the difference between 19,750 and 20,000 cycles per sec. appeared to be the limit. A third dog discriminated a tone of 29,000 from a tone of 30,000 cycles per sec. The intensities of the tones were made as constant as possible with the apparatus used. Tests were made to determine if intensity differences afforded a basis for the discriminations. Negative results were obtained. To obtain discriminations of differences of pitch of high tones it was found necessary to train the animals by degrees, beginning with tones far removed from the basic positive tone and only gradually approaching it with tones of smaller differences.