528 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



when he saw the ferret, in the course of his training-lessons, biting 

 rats, and, taking him by the tail, bit him to save the rat. 



The rhesus slept at first perched on the bars of his cage, but soon 

 learned to accustom himself to easier positions. He could cover him- 

 self up with the quilt, and would finish by drawing it over his head 

 with his teeth. He often had lively dreams. I could see him grin, 

 and hear him utter low but distinct sounds of comfort, of desire, and 

 sometimes of fright. In the latter case he would always awake, jump 

 to the highest stick, and cast frightened looks around. 



His obedience was complete, and was never wrecked except upon 

 the rock of gluttony. If I left any delicacy on the table, he would 

 never touch it when I was looking on ; but, after my back was turned, 

 nothing of it could be found. I could not contend with this fault 

 except by stratagem ; but to put a stuffed snake-skin by the side of 

 the coveted object was always enough to secure its protection. 



The feeling of the right of property is common to all monkeys. I 

 gave a red quilt to a Java macacus and a blue one to another macacus. 

 Each one was jealous of his own garment, and the least infringe- 

 ment by one on the proprietary rights of the other was followed by 

 a battle. 



Perty says that monkeys can untie knots, but can not tie them. Is 

 this a mark of inferiority ? Monkeys, like other animals, have for 

 most of their actions a determined object. My rhesus was obliged, to 

 get honey, to open the closet and, to be at liberty, to untie the rope. 

 He did both. But why should he shut the door, or tie the rope again ? 

 Do we not have to teach children and boors to shut doors ? 



Monkeys can estimate weights. I gave the rhesus full eggs and 

 empty shells, between which there was no difference to the eye. At 

 first he bit both alike, but he soon learned to throw the empty shells 

 away without biting them. I continued the ^^g experiments by fill- 

 ing the egg-shells with iron filings, lead, sawdust, and sand. After 

 several trials, he never could be deceived except by eggs of the same 

 density as normal ones. This faculty is not, however, equally pos- 

 sessed by all monkeys. 



It can not be denied that monkeys have some, but a weak, notion 

 of number. My rhesus was accustomed to get a certain number of 

 carrots, or apples, or potatoes, and, if his ration fell short, he would 

 always take notice of the deficiency. If he got only three apples when 

 he was expecting four, he would not move from the grating till the 

 fourth apple was brought him. Music had but little effect upon him ; 

 but the sound of a hunting-horn would send him under the straw, 

 and cause him to scratch his ears as he would do when one was driv- 

 ing a nail near him. Nothing delio-hted him more than to have a 

 lighted cigar or pipe in his mouth. He would fill his cheek-pouches 

 with the smoke and send it out through his nostrils like any expert 

 at the cigarette. 



