162 THE AET OF TRAINING ANIMALS. 



learns to make the passage to and from the stage. Should 

 he drop his load before reaching the person to whom he 

 is traveling, a long whip-lash reminds him of his mistake, 

 and the article is replaced hi his hand, or he kept by it until 

 he picks it up. It doesn't take long to teach him that when he 

 is given an article by one of his '^workers" he is to take it 

 to the other, and then the strings may be dispensed with, 

 though a fine but strong twine is sometimes used even in public 

 exhibitions, and we recall one occasion at a New York theater 

 where the waiter got the twine entangled in some impediment 

 and was held mid-way till released by the exhibitor. Though 

 the twine could not be seen by the audience, the cause of 

 the difficulty was too obvious to be mistaken, and some rather 

 sarcastic applause was bestowed. On another occasion', in 

 a neighboring city, we witnessed a squabble among the monkey 

 guests, a general clawing and biting, ending with the upsetting 

 of the chairs and the scampering off of the monkeys with 

 chairs ^' hitched on behind.'' 



The " drill exercise," performed with a little musket, which 

 the monkey fires off at the close, is a common but always 

 popular exhibition. Any one who has seen a green recruit 

 ''put through" by the drill-sergeant can form a pretty correct 

 idea of the method of training pursued in the case of the 

 monkey. The instructor takes the required positions himself, 

 using his whip in lieu of a musket, giving the word of command 

 as he does so. Until the monliey understands these orders 

 th.e trainer places his musket in the right position for him 

 whenever he fails to do it himself. In case of willful disobed- 

 ience or obstinacy, the whip is restored to its primary use, while 

 good conduct is rewarded with equal promptness. 



Sham fights are sometimes arranged for a number of monkeys. 

 In 'this performance each monkey is taught his particular part, 

 and rehearses it with the trainer till thoroughly familiar with it ; 

 then each monkey rehearses vdth the one with whom he is to act, 

 until, as all become perfect in their parts, the whole act together. 

 In rehearsing the monkeys perform each action at the word 

 of command, being called by name. The mimicry natural in 

 monkeys has here to be checked, otherwise the performance 

 would be thrown into confusion by each copying the other's acts. 

 The monkeys are, therefore, punished for any movement 

 without orders, or for responding when another's name is 

 called, 



To be trained successfully, monkeys must be taken .when 

 young, and the degree of docility and intelligence varies greatly 

 W'ith different species. The entellus monkey, a slender and 



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