The house musk shrew Suncus murinus has successfully been domesticated for laboratory use both in the United States and Japan. Animals of this species have been found to be useful for behavioural studies in comparative psychology and the related fields. This article dealt with basic characteristics, ecological modes, maintenance of laboratory shrews, basic patterns of behaviour, and assessment of the species as a laboratory animal for behavioural studies. Basic characteristics covered phylogenetic status, morphology, growth, sensory functions, and motor functions. Although its ecology has not yet b en systematically investigated due to the difficulties for observing animals in the wild, some findings on the seasonal and locational variations of the population density in its natural habitat were obtained on the basis of the result of trapping. Keeping and breeding the already domesticated animals in an artificial environment as well as domesticating wild-originating animals were described. Characteristics of the caravaning behaviour were mentioned in relation to its sensitive period, its formation patterns, and development of the sensory and motor functions. Those findings were discussed in connection with its adaptive significance. Also, characteristics of the reproductive behaviour were represented. Behavioural interaction between sexes is expected to determine mating outcome, since the female is an induced ovulator, having no ovarian, vaginal, or behavioural oestrus cycle. Sequential pattern of the behaviour was described with reference to the male's pacifying behaviours and the postejaculatory attack towards the partner female. Together with those two observations, the activity rhythm, aggressive and learning behaviours were mentioned. Lastly, this species was assessed as a laboratory animal for behavioural studies.

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Concepts of the price in the behavioral economics have been applied to analyze animals' feeding behavior under simple reinforcement schedules. Comparisons of demand curves plotted by the demand-supply equilibrium points showed the functional coincidence between effort and time costs only in the moderate range of price. The unit price expands the utility of demand curve analysis with the empirical approve for equivalence relations between cost and benefit factors included in the price. The labor-supply theory in which the price was treated as the wage rate predicted the behavior maximizing the utility of income-leisure (work) bundle and was supported by the experimental data. According to this theory, the wage rate by the interval schedule does not vary linearly in the leisure work dimension, the functional difference between time and effort costs in the high price is possibly explained as a result of animals' preference for leisure predicted from this framework. The price studies have been developed to identify and integrate the environmental variables which are effective in animals' feeding behavior.

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6個体のゴールデンハムスターに確率学習課題を行わせ, その反応パターンを調べた。手続きとして, 位置課題及び非訂正法を使用した。確率条件として, 左右のレバー押し反応に対する強化確率が, 70% : 30%及び60% : 40%の2条件を設けた。また, 各確率条件を実施する前に, 左右のレバーに対して等頻度に反応させるベースライン条件を挿入した。その結果, 両方の確率条件において, すべての個体が, より強化確率の高い選択肢に反応のほとんどを割り当てる最大化を示した。この結果から, ゴールデンハムスターは, ラットやハト等の他の動物種と同様の反応パターンを示すことが明らかとなった。

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