44 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



within his reach by launching a swing, which hung near, in their 

 direction ; and when there were young ducklings about he would lure 

 them to their destruction by holding out a piece of bread to them with 

 one hand, while keeping ready to seize them with the other. His notes 

 were extremely varied, and one could tell, his master found, by the 

 noise he was making, whether he was hungry or in the enjoyment of 

 food, angry or frightened ; so that he could be said to have a language. 

 On one occasion he was seen to be making off with a milk-jug, walk- 

 ing on his hind-legs ; and when he saw he was found out in the 

 theft, he put it down without spilling any, uttering an apologetic note 

 which he always used on such occasions. 



From these accounts it would seem that the intelligence of the 

 Capuchins cannot be much below that of the Chimpanzee and other 

 higher apes ; a sufficiently remarkable fact, as the American monkeys 

 are always considered to be on a lower grade than those of the 

 Old World. 



