HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



221 



by grating the roots. The graters are made of small 

 fragments of granite fastened in a tough wooden frame 

 by the viscid juice of one of the dogbanes (Counia 

 dtilcis, AubL), and washing or filtering the material 

 in water, after which it is subjected to pressure ; it is 

 then ready for use. It is made into cakes or cooked 

 in various ways, and constitutes an important article 

 of daily food to the natives of the parts in which it is 

 cultivated. 



Tapioca is prepared from the starch which settles 

 in the water used for washing the meal. The water 

 is strained off, and the starch is torrefied upon hot 



Fig. 131. — Mauihot iitilissiina. a, leaf; h, root (reduced). 



plates, the heat causing the starch grains to swell and 

 become agglutinated, thus assuming the form of a 

 shot, as known in commerce. 



Although the root is so poisonous, the poison 

 is entirely expelled by the processes carried on in the 

 preparation of the meal. 



A very repugnant practice is resorted to by the 

 native women in the preparation of an intoxicating 

 drink called " piwarrie ; " they chew the cakes, and 

 eject the well-masticated material into a bowl, to 

 which water is added ; it is allowed to stand until 

 fermented, then boiled, and when cool is ready for 

 use. It is said to be of a very agreeable flavour. 



J. T. Riches. 



" CLEVER SALLY " AT THE ZOO. 



DURING a Saturday afternoon visit on Aug. 17 

 to the Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park, 

 we took the opportunity of making a call upon our 

 dear old friend '■' Sally." No doubt " Sally" is an 

 old acquaintance of most of the London readers of 

 Science-Gossip, but, for the benefit of many who 

 have not been introduced to her, it will be as well 

 by way of introduction to inform them that " Sally " 

 is a young and intelligent-looking female of the 



genus Anthropopithccus calvus, known as the "bald 

 chimpanzee," and according to the Society's guide 

 books supposed to be referable to the variety 

 " Nshiego-mbouve " of Du Chaillu. "Sally" has 

 been in the possession of the Society for nearly six 

 years, having been purchased in October, 1883. She is 

 now about eight years old j and is at present located 

 in the Sloth House. 



Having heard from various sources that " Sally " 

 was making rapid progress in her education, par- 

 ticularly in the abstruse science of simple addition, 

 we were rather anxious to see an example of her 

 cleverness and intelligence in this 

 respect. 



Upon interviewing the keeper in 

 charge, we were informed that 

 "Sally" was slightly unwell and 

 rather inclined to be disagreeable 

 (too bad to speak of a lady chim- 

 panzee thus), and that in conse- 

 quence she might be disinclined to 

 exhibit her accomplishments. How- 

 ever, with a little coaxing from her 

 keeper, aided by sundry tit-bits 

 administered at intervals, we were 

 enabled to see for ourselves how the 

 intelligence of our "poor relations," 

 the higher apes, is capable of being 

 fostered and brought out by kind 

 treatment and great perseverance. 



" Sally's " first performance, in 

 answer to her keeper's request, was 

 to push a straw through the keyhole. 

 This "Sally" managed to accomplish successfully, 

 first wetting one end in her mouth, as a child 

 might wet the end of a piece of cotton to get it 

 through the eye of a needle. Being rewarded with a 

 small piece of apple, she was asked to put a button- 

 hole in master's coat, and picking up an ear of straw, 

 and breaking its stalk to a convenient length, she 

 proceeded to draw it through two button-holes of the 

 keeper's coat, who then, cutting off two pieces of 

 apple, placed them respectively on "Sally's" right 

 and left hand, with the injunction that she was not 

 to touch them until she was told. An invitation to 

 take the piece on her right hand was promptly 

 complied with, and the same with regard to the left- 

 hand piece. "Sally's" keeper now told her he had 

 still another piece of apple, which she should have 

 for five straws ; this was accomplished by " Sally," 

 leisurely picking up the requisite number of straws 

 one by one from the bottom of her cage, breaking 

 them short, and placing them in her mouth, making 

 a bundle of equal lengths, and handing them to 

 the master in exchange for the piece of apple. She 

 was particular in remembering to pick up one that 

 she had dropped in the commencement of the count- 

 ing, and adding it to the others so as to make up the 

 proper number. 



