THE SPEECH OF MONKEYS. 7J 



ond floor, and the dining-room was on the ground- 

 floor, and hence there were two flights of stairs 

 between, both of which were carpeted. So acute 

 was her sense of hearing that she would detect 

 my footsteps on the lower stairway and warn my 

 wife of my approach. She manifested no inter- 

 est, as a rule, in the sounds made by other per- 

 sons passing up and down the stairway, which 

 indicated that she not only heard the sounds of 

 my footsteps, but recognized them. The first 

 intimation she would give of my coming was 

 always in a whisper. She would first make 

 the sound " c-h-i " and then stop and listen. 

 She would repeat the sound and listen again; 

 as I approached the door in the hall she would 

 lift her voice to its natural pitch and utter 

 this sound three or four times in quick suc- 

 cession ; when I turned the door-knob she would 

 show some excitement, and when I entered 

 the room she would always express her satis- 

 faction with a little chuckle. This sound she 

 did not use except to announce something of 

 which she was not afraid., but when she ap 

 prehended danger from the cause of the sound 

 she would use the word " e-c-g-k," and when 

 greatly alarmed she would use the sound which 



