SOUNDS FOR "FOOD" AND "DRINK" 29 



From this and other tests I finally determined 

 that it meant " drink" in a broad sense and possibly also 

 meant "thirst." It evidently expressed his desire for 

 something with which to allay his thirst. The sound is 

 very difficult to imitate and quite impossible to write, but 

 an idea of it is given elsewhere. 



On one of my visits to the Chicago Garden I stood with 

 my side to a cage containing a small Capuchin. I uttered 

 the sound which had been translated "milk." It caused 

 him to turn and look at me, and on my repeating the sound 

 a few times he answered very distinctly, using the same 

 sound. Picking up the pan from which he usually drank, 

 he brought it to the front of the cage, set it down, came 

 up to the bars, and distinctly uttered the word. He had 

 not been shown any milk or other kind of food. The man 

 in charge then brought some milk, which I gave to the 

 monkey, who drank it with great delight. I again held up 

 his pan and repeated the sound. He used the same sound 

 each time when he wanted milk. During this visit I tried 

 many experiments with the word which I am now con- 

 vinced means "food" or "hunger." I was led to the 

 belief that he used the same word for apple, carrot, bread, 

 and banana. Later experiments, however, have caused me 

 to modify this view, because the phonograph shows slight 

 variations of the sound, and it is probable that these faint 

 inflections may indicate different kinds of food. They 

 usually recognize this sound, even when poorly imitated. 

 In this word may be found a clue to the great secret of 

 speech. And while I have taken but one short step toward 

 its solution, these facts point out the way that leads to it. 



