28 THE SPEECH OF MONKEYS. 



became quite absorbed in it. I attracted his at- 

 tention to another part of the cage with some 

 food, and while he was thus diverted I changed 

 the position of the bells by withdrawing and 

 dropping them through other meshes. On his 

 return he would go to the place he had left, and 

 of course get a bell with no clapper in it. He 

 would drop this and take another, until he found 

 the one with the clapper, which showed clearly 

 that the sound was a part of the attraction. I 

 have repeated to monkeys many musical records 

 on the phonograph ; but frequently they show no 

 sign of concern, while at other times they display 

 some interest. It may be, however, that music 

 as we understand it is somewhat too high for 

 them. Musical sounds seem to attract and afford 

 them pleasure, but they do not appreciate melody 

 or rhythm. As monkeys readily discern the 

 larger of two pieces of food from the smaller, and 

 by the aid of concrete things can count a limited 

 number, I feel justified in saying that they have 

 the first principles of mathematics as dealing 

 with numbers and quantity in a concrete form. 

 Their ability to distinguish colors and their se- 

 lection thereof would indicate that they possess 

 the first rudiment of art as dealing with color. 



