CHIMPANZEES. 



33 



colours has been so uniformly negative, that I am disposed to think the animal must 

 be colour-blind. The method adopted in these experiments was to obtain a number of 

 brightly and uniformly coloured pieces of straw each piece being either white, 

 black, red, green, or blue. Offered the straws two by two of different colours on 

 each occasion, the ape was invited to select the straw 1 of the colour named from the 

 one whose colour was not named, and, of course, on choosing correctly was rewarded 

 with a piece of fruit. In this way she quickly learned to distinguish between the 

 white straws and the straws of any other colour ; but she never could be taught to 



SIDE VIEW OF HEAD OF CHIMPANZEE "MAFUKA." 



go further. Now the distinction between the white straws and the straws of any 

 other colour is a distinction which can be drawn by an eye that is colour-blind ; 

 and from the fact that the ape is always able to perceive this distinction, while she 

 cannot be taught to distinguish any of the others, I conclude that her failure in this 

 respect is not due to any want of intelligence, but to some deficiency in her powers 

 of colour-perception." 



We must conclude our notice of chimpanzees by the mention of 

 a very remarkable ape which was brought from the Loango Coast in 

 1875, and exhibited in the Zoological Gardens at Dresden. This animal was a 

 female, and from its peculiar physiognomy, as shown in our two figures of its head, 

 has given rise to much discussion as to what species it really belonged. The 

 VOL. i. 3 



Mafuka. 



