854 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



and, when the spoon is taken away, he whim- 

 pers to have it returned, but does not seem 

 inclined to drink in the natural way. The 

 outer and visible signs of laughter are com- 

 paratively simple ; that species of laughter 

 which is caused by the perception of incon- 

 gruities was never witnessed, although a few 

 attempts were made to evoke it, and although 

 monkeys and dogs are known to be sensitive 

 to ridicule. When disappointed, as when a 

 piece of banana was taken away from him, 

 the animal sulked, became angry, cried, and 

 shook his hands. When introduced to his 

 image in the looking-glass, he seemed fixed 

 for an instant with surprise, then looked to 

 the back of the mirror, and began to bite 

 the frame and pull an attached cord. " Ad- 

 vancing to the front and examining the re- 

 flection of his person with evident satisfac- 

 tion, he commenced, with absurdly sincere 

 intentions, to make effusive demonstrations 

 of love. He repeatedly pressed his lips and 

 tongue to the glass, and, erecting himseK tc^ 

 his full height, strutted, and grinned, and 

 made obeisance in most ridiculous and amus- 

 ing fashion. lie was once seen to make 

 signs to his image by spasmodic movements 

 of his hps, without uttering any audible 

 sound. He again looked behind the mirror, 

 and again fell to biting the frame. He be- 

 came still more angry and hit the glass, first 

 with the left fore-hand and then with the 

 left hind-hand, and continued to do so with 

 such violence that we were finally compelled 

 to break the spell. While eating some fruit, 

 he saw himself in the glass, and ran away 

 preciptately, that he might keep possession 

 of his morsel." A colored India-rubber ball 

 that emitted a musical note when squeezed 

 was examined with timid curiosity at first. 

 " At length, he took the ball in his hands, 

 not seeming afraid, and tried by gentle press- 

 ure, in imperfect imitation of what he had 

 seen me do, to evoke its note. Failing in 

 this, he commenced to hit it forcibly with 

 the knuckles, and grinned with pleasure 

 when the sound was produced. He then hit 

 it violently, drawing the upper lip over the 

 upper row of teeth, looking as if delighted 

 in the exercise of his powers. He was al- 

 lowed to see a piece of fruit put in a tin box 

 or canister, and the latter closed by a firm 

 adjustment of the lid. He very quickly ap- 

 plied the teeth, not the fingers, to remove 



the lid, and, having succeeded in doing so, 

 extracted the fruit. But, seeing a similar 

 cover on the opposite end of the canister, 

 the previous association of contiguity be- 

 tween an adjusted cover and inclosed fruit 

 forced him uureasoningly to remove this 

 cover also." 



The New England Meteorological Socie- 

 ty. — The New England Meteorological So- 

 ciety was formed in June, 1884, to advance 

 the study of atmospheric phenomena in New 

 England, and to collect and diffuse informa- 

 tion in meteorology. Its meetings are held 

 on th6 third Tuesdays of October, January, 

 and April, at places designated for each 

 meeting. It publishes a monthly bulletin, 

 containing a summary of the meteorologi- 

 cal conditions of the preceding month, with 

 other items of interest, which is supplied to 

 members. Observations are welcomed from 

 every one, and circulars and blanks to aid in 

 making them are sent to those who desire 

 them. The society is making arrangements 

 for the display of daily weather-signals with 

 railroads, postmasters, town authorities, and 

 others, and contemplates the institution of 

 investigations on the subject of ozone in its 

 relations with epidemic disease. For carry- 

 ing out its work, it relies wholly on the fees 

 of membership, three dollars a year each 

 member. Hence all interested in its work 

 are invited to apply for membership to W. 

 S. Davis, Secretary, Cambridge, Massachu- 

 setts. 



Heavy Ordnance for National Defense. — 



In a pamphlet on " Heavy Ordnance for Na- 

 tional Defense," Lieutenant W. H. Jaques, 

 of the United States Navy, shows that we 

 are in pressing need of guns to make our 

 fortifications of value ; that the most prac- 

 ticable type of the guns that are required is 

 that represented by the system of Mr. J. Va- 

 vasseur, of London ; and that there are no 

 establishments in the United States possess- 

 ing sufficient plant and experience to manu- 

 facture them on the scale that is demanded. 

 In answering the question. What is the best 

 method of supply of such guns, he shows, by 

 cogent reasons, that the Government can not 

 depend on foreign supply or private indus- 

 tries, and should not rely on its own facto- 

 ries alone. That which suggests itself to 



