CHAPTER VI 



Sounds and Speech 



Vocal reactions are frequent and varied in the young chim- 

 panzee, but speech in the human sense is absent. Although 

 the animals have a sound producing apparatus which pre- 

 sumably is capable of functioning much as does that of man, 

 there is sHght, if any, tendency to imitate sounds. Chim 

 and Panzee would imitate many of my acts, but never have I 

 heard them imitate a sound and rarely make a sound pecu- 

 liarly their own in response to mine. As previously stated, 

 their imitative tendency is as remarkable for its specializa- 

 tion and limitations as for its strength. It seems to be con- 

 trolled chiefly by visual stimuli. Things which are seen 

 tend to be imitated or reproduced. What is heard is not 

 reproduced. Obviously an animal which lacks the tendency 

 to reinstate auditory stimuli — in other words to imitate 

 sounds — cannot reasonably be expected to talk. The human 

 infant exhibits this tendency to a remarkable degree. So 

 also does the parrot. If the imitative tendency of the 

 parrot could be coupled with the quality of intelligence of 

 the chimpanzee, the latter undoubtedly could speak. For, 

 as already pointed out, it possesses a vocal mechanism com- 

 parable with that of man, and also a type and degree of 

 intelligence which would enable it to utilize sounds effectively 

 for purposes of speech. 



Chim and Panzee, with excellent voices and ability to 

 produce a wide range and a great variety of sounds, yet 

 exhibit only a few types of vocal reaction. Certain sounds, 

 it is true, are characteristic of certain situations, as for ex- 



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