OF WILD ANIMALS 89 



ical training, and only given the specious counterfeit of an 

 educated intelligence when under the direct control of the 

 trainer? 



"Since that day I have seen Peter in five public perform- 

 ances, have tested him at my psychological clinic and privately 

 on three occasions. I now believe that in a very real sense 

 the animal is himself giving the stage performance. He 

 knows what he is doing, he delights in it, he varies it from 

 time to time, he understands the succession of tricks which 

 are being called for, he is guided by word of mouth without 

 any signal open or concealed, and the function of his trainer 

 is exercised mainly to steady and control. 



"I am prepared to accept the statement of his trainers, 

 Mr. and Mrs. McArdle, that Peter's proficiency is not so 

 much the result of training as of downright self-education." 



Peter was put through many of the tests which Dr. Witmer 

 uses for the study of backward children. He performed many 

 of these tests in a very satisfactory manner. He was able 

 to string beads the first time he tried it. He put pegs in the 

 ordinary kindergarten pegging board. He opened and closed 

 a very difficult lock. He used hammer and screw driver, and 

 distinguished without any mistake between nails and screws. 

 A peculiar kind of hammer was given to him in order to fool 

 him, but Peter was not fooled. He felt both ends of the 

 hammer and used the flat end instead of the round end. 



Showing his initiative during the tests, Peter got away 

 from those who were watching him and darted for a washstand, 

 quickly turned the faucet and put his mouth to the spigot and 

 secured a drink before he was snatched away by his trainers. 

 He understood language and followed instructions without 

 signs. He was able to say "mamma," and Doctor Witmer 

 taught him in five minutes to give the sound of "p." The 

 most remarkable performance was making the letter "w" on 

 the blackboard, in which he imitated Doctor Witmer's move- 

 ments exactly, and reproduced a fair copy of the letter. 



The last four paragraphs reproduced above have been 



