, INTRODUCTION. 47 



elephants themselves, they are, nevertheless, observed 

 to enter on it with alacrity, and to conduct it so judi- 

 ciously, as to excite sentiments of admiration in those 

 who -behold it: surely this may be said to be extra- 

 instinctive.— I once possessed a monkey, which, during 

 the summer months, was chained to a window-seat over- 

 looking a back area passage, to the rails of which the dist- 

 ance might be four or five feet. From this window to the 

 opposite rails the monkey used to jump every now and 

 then for amusement. In one of these leaps he w as sud- 

 denly arrested by his chain becoming entangled, and he 

 received a severe fall. His memory made him remem- 

 ber the pain, and his reflections taught him the cause. 

 Benefitting by experience, his judgment determined him, 

 before he again took the same leap, to pass the chain 

 that confined him entirely through his hands; which 

 having done, he took his accustomed spring without 

 fear : this caution he observed in every future attempt. 

 It is siiigular, and it serves to shew how he combined 

 ideas, that it was only when leaping from the window to 

 the rails that he examined his chain ; on his return, he 

 always jumped fearlessly, because every portion of the 

 chain w^as exposed before him, which in the other in- 

 stance it was not. I was in possession of another mon- 

 key, also, who used to amuse himself by swinging on a 

 clothes line hung in a laundry in which he was confined. 

 1 was at the time a resident with Dr. Haighton, whose 

 servants, not being so partial to pug as I was, resolved 

 to play him a trick, and therefore purposely cut the rope, 

 leaving only a few threads to preserve appearances and 

 deceive the animal. As it may be supposed, the next 

 time he attempted his amusement, he got a fall. When 

 the line was replaced, he shewed every inclination to re- 

 new his sport, but none whatever to repeat his accident : 



