76 GEOEGE JOHN EOMANES i873 



hardly know ; it is rather like Herbert Spencer ; if 

 you do not know it, and would care to see it, send 

 me a post-card. 



Thank Heaven we return home on Thursday, and 

 I shall be able to go on with my humdrum work, 

 and that makes me forget my daily discomfort. 



Have you ever thought of keeping a young 

 monkey,^ so as to observe its mind ? At a house 

 where we have been staying there were Sir A. and 

 Lady Hobhouse, not long ago returned from India, 

 and she and he kept three young monkeys, and told 

 me some curious particulars. One was that the 

 monkey was very fond of looking through her eye- 

 glass at objects, and moved the glass nearer and 

 iurther so as to vary the focus. This struck me, as 

 Prank's son, nearly two years old (and we think 

 much of his intellect !), is very fond of looking 

 through my pocket lens, and I have quite in vain 

 endeavoured to teach him not to put the glass close 

 down on the object, but he will always do so. There- 

 fore I conclude that a child just under two years is 

 inferior in intellect to a monkey. 



Once again I heartily congratulate you on your 

 well-earned present and I feel assured grand future 

 success. 



Yours very truly, 



Ch. Dabwin. 



P.S. 28th. — Can you spare time to come down 

 here any day this week, except Saturday, to dine and 



' Mr. Bomanes carried out this suggestion, or rather his sister, Miss 

 C. E. Romanes, did ; she kept a monkey for observation for several months, 

 as is recorded at p. 484 of ' Animal InteUigence.' 



