102 General Notes. [January, 
from another in taking their positions. It requires about five 
months to train an elephant. We practice from 6 o’clock in the 
morning until 6 o’clock in the evening. They are drilled singly, 
and then in squads, and then taught their various “ specialty ” 
acts and tricks. Elephants are more imitative than any other 
animal perhaps, and are very cunning. While practicing 
they are looking out for an opportunity to “cut up,” and wil 
reach back and kick the trainer, and then look as innocent as a 
truant school-boy. They seem almost human enough to talk. 
The importation of elephants has increased tenfold within the 
past decade. Ten years ago very few circuses had more than 
three or four elephants, and one was the usual number ; now, no 
circus is complete without fifteen or twenty —LZxchange. 
THE CHIMPANZEE IN CoNFINEMENT.—At the Zodlogical Gar- 
dens, Philadelphia, are two interesting individuals of this species. 
Although they are comparatively young, perhaps not older than 
six years, yet they have an extremely antiquated appearance. I 
heard a countryman say to a bystander that he “ guessed they 
were 70 years old, easy.” One of them has such a great fondness 
for an old blanket that he carries or drags it with him wherever 
e goes. Even if he desires to climb to the extreme top of his 
cage, the blanket must go along, although it greatly retards his 
progress. He knows its use, but does not always use it judiciously. 
Thus, on an oppressively hot day in July, I have seen him reclin- 
ing for twenty minutes or more, entirely enveloped in the blanket, 
with the exception of his face, looking at the spectators with a 
comical and pouting expression. I saw one, when teased and dis- 
appointed by its keeper, throw itself upon the floor, and roll and 
scream vehemently, very like a naughty child in a tantrum. A 
board shelf was placed across their cage for them to climb upon. 
This they soon found could be used as a spring-board, and nothing 
seems to give them more pleasure than, when there is a good audi- 
ence, to steal gently to the center of the board, grasp it tightly 
with all fours, and spring violently up and down, causing the board 
with themselves to vibrate rapidly, and producing at the same time 
a loud, jarring noise. They then seem to greatly enjoy the startled 
and amused looks of the spectators. Perhaps one of their most 
human actions is languidly to recline, and holding a straw in one 
hand, listlessly to chew at its tip, while the eyes are rolled vacantly 
around. It may be that they are then building “ castles in Spain.” 
—C. F. Seiss, in Scientific American. 
ANTHROPOLOGY.! 
THE PRECURSOR OF Man.—At the meeting of the French As- 
sociation at Rouen, last year, the section of anthropology made 
an excursion to Thenay, near Blois, to study the question of Ter- 
tiary . The digging was performed under the direction of 
1 Edited by Prof. Oris T. Mason, National Museum, Washington, D. C. 
