CHIMPANZEES AND ORANG-UTANS. 289 



of coloring of the green and the blue, and the yellow and the orange 

 were very much the same. My chimpanzee, at least, has an appre- 

 ciation of color distinct from tone. 



Actions which on first thought would seem to require almost 

 human intelligence such as stringing beads, threading a needle, using 

 a spoon, or a fork, drinking out of a cup, washing the hands, etc., 

 our anthropoid cousins seem to accomplish with great facility. 

 Possibly these are but slight modifications of instinctive actions of 

 use in the pursuit of food, or to satisfy a natural curiosity. A twig 

 or a stick may be poked into a hole to pry out a grub or the kernel 

 of a nut, a drink of water out of the hollow of a leaf is like drinking 

 from a cup; sticky juice of fruit on their hands they naturally find 

 may be counteracted by a good rubbing in sand or water, therefore, 

 I do not think that such actions demonstrate any marked degree of 

 mentality. But tying a knot in which three or four different motions 

 were required and where no object other than the formation of a 

 knot was attained, required long and persistent instruction. The 

 knot was tied hundreds of times while the ape was apparently 

 closely observing every action and then her hands were put through 

 the motions but yet she would only twist one end of the rope round 

 the other when left to herself. Simple actions such as digging with 

 a spade, or trowel, scrubbing, sweeping, screwing in a screw she 

 learned entirely by imitation. 



I am eager to be able to say truthfully that my anthropoids have 

 showed signs of reasoning (I mean have deduced an inference from 

 certain premises), but truthfully I can say that I have seen only the 

 faintest rays of evidence, unless association of ideas which in point 

 of fact 'is merely learning by experience, is reasoning. The chim- 

 panzee if given the key to the closet in her room will fit it in the 

 lock, turn it in the right direction, slip back the little spring catch, 

 open the door, get the top of the spigot which is kept there to avoid 

 a waste of water, fit the top of the spigot, get a drink of water and 

 finally turn the water off'. It appears as if in this act there were a 

 sequence of ideas concerted to accomplish a purpose and therefore 

 to a certain extent there were reasoning. I am inclined to think, 

 however, that such an act with the chimpanzee is governed by a 

 simple succession of ideas rather than by a pre-arranged sequence 



