PAN 239 



then extended in a similar manner from three to four and from four 

 to five straws. Here, for reasons presently stated, I allowed her 

 education to terminate. But more recently one of the keepers has 

 endeavored to advance her instruction as far as ten. The result, 

 however, is what might have been anticipated. Although she very 

 rarely makes any mistake in handing out one, two, three, four, or five 

 straws, according to the number asked for, and although she is usually 

 accurate in handing out as many as six or seven, when the numbers 

 eight, nine or ten are named, the result becomes more and more 

 uncertain, so as to be suggestive of guess work. It is evident, how- 

 ever, that she understands the words seven, eight, nine and ten to 

 betoken numbers higher than those below them ; and if she is asked for 

 any of these numbers (i. e. above six), she always gives some number 

 that is above six and not more than ten; but there is no such con- 

 stant accuracy displayed in handing out the exact number named as is 

 the case below six. On the whole, then, while there is no doubt that 

 this animal can accurately compute any number of straws up to five, the 

 accuracy of her computation becomes progressively diminished. 



"It is to be noticed that the Ape exhibits some idea of multiplica- 

 tion; for she very frequently (especially when dealing with numbers 

 above five) doubles over a long straw so as to make it present two 

 ends, and thus to appear as two straws. Any of the comparatively 

 rare errors which she now makes in dealing with numbers below six 

 are almost invariably due to her thus endeavoring to duplicate her 

 straws. In this connection it is to be remembered that, owing to the 

 method above described (whereby the Ape is required to place each 

 straw separately in her mouth until the sum asked for is completed), 

 when any high number is demanded a considerable tax is imposed upon 

 her patience ; and as her movements are deliberate while her store of 

 patience is small, it is evident to all observers that the doubling of the 

 straws is intended to save trouble by getting the sum completed with 

 greater rapidity than is possible when every straw is picked up sepa- 

 rately. Of course we do not recognize these doubled straws as equiva- 

 lent to two straws, and therefore the persistency with which slje 

 endeavors to palm them off as such is the more noteworthy as evidence 

 of her idea of multiplication. Moreover, I am disposed to think that 

 the uncertainty which attends her dealing with the numbers six and 

 seven is more largely due to her losing patience than to her losing 

 count ; although after seven I believe that her computation of the num- 

 bers themselves becomes vague, or merged in a general idea of many. 

 It may also be stated that while picking up straws and placing them 



