TOUCH — FIELDWORK AND EXPERIMENTS 121 



of their using a piece of wire to pick locks. Several chimps 

 at the London Zoo (and, I have no doubt, at other Zoos) 

 have learned to select the right key from a bunch with 

 which to open the padlock on the doors of their den ; and 

 though all these instances are proofs of their high intelligence, 

 the manipulative skill required is evidence of a very delicate 

 sense of touch as well. Touch also enters into one of the 

 regular tests of intelligence which are presented to chimpan- 

 zees by research workers. I refer to the test where a banana, 

 or other favourite food, is placed well out of reach, and the 

 chimp being tested is given two or even three sticks which 

 fit into one another so as to form a longer one, after the 

 fashion of a fishing-rod. These, when successfully fitted to- 

 gether, will enable the ape to knock down the desired fruit, 

 Here, again, some considerable degree of skill is employed, 

 depending on a high degree of sensitivity to touch and an 

 appreciation of shape by means of feeling. 



I should like to finish my portion of this book by recalling 

 an exhibition of delicacy of touch by an animal that, from 

 its size and apparent clumsiness, would not, perhaps, be 

 thought to have such tactile ability. 



Not so very many years ago, there was an elephant at the 

 London Zoo which performed what its keeper called its 

 "conjuring trick". This little show was given every now and 

 then for the amusement and instruction of both children and 

 adult visitors. 



The trick was done with one of the old silver threepenny 

 pieces. After having allowed some of the audience to feed 

 this elephant with hard biscuit — about twice the size of a 

 big dog-biscuit — the keeper would make the elephant take 

 a piece of food and then give it back again. He would then 

 tell those watching that this great beast would perform a 

 conjuring trick. A silver threepenny piece was then produced 

 by the keeper who offered it to the elephant. The elephant 

 would take this in the lips of its trunk — no mean exhibition 

 of dexterity in itself; having done this, the threepenny piece 

 would appear to be put into the huge mouth and on the 

 word of command, "Give it back", the coin would be handed 

 to the keeper again. This was only a preliminary to the trick 

 itself. The coin would again be offered to the elephant, 



