ANiMAL ANECDOTES. 
M. Hacust-Sovrner, who has lately founded 
an institute for the study and 
development of animal psychology, 
has been making some remarkable 
experiments with various animals, and tells an 
interesting story about a monkey which came 
under his personal observation. ‘‘ Recently,” he 
says, ‘‘I compelled a monkey to go for sweets 
to a box, the cover of which was ornamented 
inside with a mirror; not only did the animal 
discover that the glass reflected his own image, 
but after a few days he used the mirror as a 
dandy would. One day a bit of liquid plaster 
fell on his face and immediately hardened. The 
monkey ran to the box, opened it, and used the 
mirror to scratch away the plaster. Likewise 
he would often go to the glass, and, pulling his 
cheek with his finger, see exactly what quantity 
of hazelnuts he had stored in the pockets of his 
chops.” 
An Intelligent 
Monkey. 
N/D 
THE same authority tells another story of 
an experiment with a lion 
in the Jardin des Plantes. 
In the centre of this ani- 
mal’s cage was placed a closed box with 
a heavy lid on hinges; inside was a large 
piece of meat. The lion was then let in. 
At first he displayed signs of uneasiness 
on seeing this unusual-looking object, then 
he smelt the meat and searched for it by 
sniffing vigorously, but all the while re- 
maining seated in the cage, merely moving 
his head to get the scent. It did not take 
him long to discover that the meat was 
inside the box, but still he was a little 
nervous, and to guard against any other 
possible surprises that might be hidden in 
the unwonted square object in the centre 
of his cage he approached very cautiously, 
and then took a turn round, eyeing it 
closely. At last he gave the chest a quick 
scratch to see whether it would strike 
back, and sprang away at once, much as 
a kitten does when playing with a ball of 
wool. Convinced that the strange object 
was not dangerous, the lion now tried to 
overturn it to see if the meat were not 
underneath, but as the box had been 
screwed to the ground, it was impossible 
to move it. Without using any brute 
A Lion 
Story. 
force, he continued to examine it patiently and 
finally, struck by an idea, he took the edge of the 
lid delicately between his teeth and raised it 
without violence, until it fell back on the other 
side and remained open, thus giving him free 
access to the meat. As soon as he had finished 
eating this, his keeper happened to scold a 
panther two or three cages away. At the sound 
of his voice it must have flashed through the 
animal’s brain that he had eaten meat in all 
probability not intended for him, so in fear of 
punishment he shot the cover back with a quick 
movement of his nose and crouched in a corner 
as if nothing had happened. 
We 
Mr. Ernest Srron-THompson, whose animal 
The studies with brush and pen are 
Adventures of so well known, has been telling 
two Sparrows. the story of a sparrow whose 
adventures he has been following from his study 
The monkey used the mirror to scratch away the plaster. 
68 
