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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 1009 



kept in confinement, bred Eind reared for 

 experimental purposes ; in the second place, 

 many of them, in comparison with human 

 beings, can be readily controlled through- 

 out their lives and subjected to experi- 

 mental conditions, in definite and measur- 

 able ways. Because, then, of the availabil- 

 ity and controllability of lower animals, it is 

 far easier and more satisfactory to make 

 preliminary, exploratory and problems de- 

 fining observations on their behavior rather 

 than on that of man. It is further to be 

 considered that the time of a human sub- 

 ject is worth infinitely more than that of an 

 infra-human subject. On the whole, it 

 seems clear that we work to advantage in 

 the early stages of our science of behavior 

 by letting the lower animals help us to the 

 formulation of our problems and the devel- 

 opment of our methods. Once fairly 

 oriented and reasonably skilled in our tech- 

 nique, we may, with better effect, attack 

 the problems of human behavior. 



The above considerations lead to yet a 

 further reflection concerning the relation of 

 the study of the behavior of infra-human 

 organisms to that of man. To the writer, it 

 seems of preeminent importance that we 

 prepare for rapid advance in our knowl- 

 edge of human behavior by the systematic, 

 thoroughgoing study of the behavior of 

 some one or more of the anthropoid apes 

 and of the higher monkeys. These crea- 

 tures are nearest of kin to man, alike in 

 structure and in behavior, and it is quite as 

 surprising as it is unfortunate that we 

 should know so little definitely concerning 

 their mental characteristics or the facts and 

 laws of their behavior. It may fairly be 

 urged, I think, that no task comparable in 

 importance with that of the systematic 

 study of the instincts and intelligence of 

 the apes lies before the behaviorist. Be- 

 cause of this strong conviction, I wish to 

 present the following plan, which is quite 



as much in the interest of a study of man's 

 behavior as of that of the anthropoid apes 

 themselves. 



It is proposed that a permanent station 

 be established in some tropical country 

 (Borneo and Jamaica would seem weU 

 worth considering) where, under favorable 

 conditions, certain of the apes can be bred, 

 reared and observed. Year after year, the 

 staff of such a station should conduct sys- 

 tematic experiments with these animals and 

 record observations of their behavior in 

 their semi-wild state. There should be 

 equally good opportunities for naturalistic 

 and for experimental work, for the study of 

 the development of forms of behavior, and 

 of the relations of particular acts to definite 

 environmental or other conditions. The 

 value of such work would depend largely 

 upon its continuance over a long period of 

 time and upon the possibilities of breeding 

 the animals and of observing the develop- 

 ment of activities. To any one interested 

 in the study of behavior, an elaborate pro- 

 gram of research will at once present itself. 

 It is wholly unnecessary, at this time, to 

 enter into the details of such a plan. Suf- 

 fice it to say that several biologists and 

 psychologists, who have been consulted con- 

 cerning it, enthusiastically approve of the 

 proposal and earnestly hope that such a 

 station may be established. 



This plea for special and unique facilities 

 for the systematic study of the apes is pre- 

 sented to you because upon students of 

 genetics, eugenic investigators, and sociolo- 

 gists, quite as heavily as upon behaviorists 

 and psychologists, must rest the responsi- 

 bility of carrying out any such proposal. 

 Moreover, I can urge the plan upon your 

 consideration with enthusiasm because I 

 fully believe that this apparently round- 

 about way to knowledge of the laws of our 

 own behavior is in reality the most direct 

 and desirable way. Certain it is that if 



