squirrellisation

Whilst much is made of the abilities of things like squirrels and jays to memorise hundreds of different locations in which they've secreted nuts, berries, seeds (or other foodstuffs as applicable) I've no idea what the human infant's location-referencing software is like at eleven and a bit months. Occasionally this particular one will kneel down and start poking about beneath the sofa, presumably in order to try and retrieve (or confirm the position of) one of the books he's shoved under there which we've probably since removed. He hasn't seemed particularly bothered about trying to retrieve this sugar-free organic biscuit thing from where he must have thrown it behind the sideboardy-thing but the moment I fished it out and put it atop the cabinet for later disposal he was straining to try and reach it. One of his favourite activities at the moment is emptying things out of the plastic boxes all his stuff is kept in, particularly the books, occasionally putting things back in, presumably with some aim in mind even if it's not obvious. It's remarkably like my own method of finding things I know to be somewhere but not precisely where, which often results in all available boxes being opened and briefly rootled-through before being replaced, though with the same contents in. As this usually takes place inside cupboards and up in the loft out of sight of youngsters it would appear to be an inbuilt or spontaneously-developed behaviour.