- 
6 Dr. G. D. H. Carpenter’s Eaperiments on 
on the stem of a bush a yard or two away. TI used to take 
him to a bush and try to see for myself what was on it, 
and it was remarkable how I failed to see the fine large 
Mantid (No. 19) which in form and colour is typically 
procryptic. This was a very favourite food of the monkey, 
and I was able to see the very remarkable defensive attitude 
of the Mantid, which could never have been seen had it 
been taken away from its surroundings and offered to the 
monkey. 
Not only did nothing down below escape M.’s quick 
eyes, but even when fully occupied with insects he always 
“kept one eye lifting” for danger from above, and my 
attention was several times drawn by his quick, nervous 
glances upwards, to some soaring bird which might be a 
bird of prey. Thus I feel quite certain that conspicuous 
insects to which he paid no attention when out hunting 
were not unseen, but purposely ignored. 
Interpretation of Monkey’s Behaviour. 
As regards interpretation of M.’s behaviour, I soon 
learnt, from his expression and treatment of an insect, 
in what category to place it. A very curious method was 
to paw it violently on the ground with swift repeated 
strokes of one hand after another. This may be perhaps 
called a method of attack against insects not necessarily 
inedible, but whose bite or sting is especially to be feared. 
No doubt it so confuses them that they may be rapidly 
picked up and eaten. But this treatment is also directed 
against species that are particularly distasteful, and indicates 
profound dislike, quite apart from fear of sting or bite, for 
I have seen M. violently rub his hands on the ground without 
once touching the object of his dislike, which was allowed 
to escape unharmed! Sometimes after pulling a distasteful 
insect to pieces M. would rub his hands on the ground in 
the same way, obviously for the sake of cleaning them; 
it was probably association of ideas which led him to rub 
his hands on the ground without touching the insect, as 
just described above. 
The most edible insects were at once taken and eaten 
without a moment’s hesitation. Sometimes a_ species 
which had not been seen before would be looked at atten- 
tively and then eaten with gusto. The next step down the 
scale is afforded by species at which M. looked, then bit 
off the head or head and thorax, and finding this edible 
