By maintaining animals on a "daily 15-hr. water-deprivation schedule in which they had 1 hr. to drink a test fluid (tap water or some salt solution), a 2-hr. deprivation, and then 6 hr. to drink tap water and to eat," the salt preferences of six rats were determined. Maximal preference is about 0.8% salt, the preference threshold as low as 0.05% salt. Theory of salt preference and advantage of the single-stimulus method are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)