1885. ] Psy chology. _ I0I7 
ter, which are ‘or a time shut off from each other by a septum.— 
John A. Ryder. 
PSYCHOLOGY. 
Currosity oF Monkeys.—“ Do monkeys learn by experience?” 
is asked in your last number by Mr. W. H. Frost, who cites cats 
as learning in regard to their reflection in a mirror, and further 
states that it is claimed, on tolerable good authority, that mon- 
keys never do, which statement he does not attempt to answer. 
It seems to me that the probable explanation of the difference 
of action of the two animals in the matter is due, not to the su- 
perior powers of discernment, and capacity of learning by expe- 
rience possessed by the cat, as one would infer from the article 
mentioned, but just the reverse. 
I should doubt very much but that the monkey realizes in 
time that there is no other individual behind the glass, and think 
that its actions are simply due to the greater mental development 
which it possesses, and which is largely manifested by its investi- 
gative turn of mind, and could we understand the monkey lan- 
guage, it would tell us that it was a problem which it was trying 
to work out, and that while it felt that it was no genuine or ordi- 
nary monkey which appeared in the glass, it was curious to find 
out just what it was. 
The monkey’s mind, from long experience, has an innate con- 
sciousness of power to solve many of the problems presented to 
it, and being in a comparatively active state of evolution, is con- 
tinually grasping out at new ideas. : 
e cat’s mind, on the other hand, is not of such a progressive 
type, and consequently it quietly gives up many problems with 
“T cannot comprehend,” and ceases to “ bother its head about it, 
simply accepting the problem as it appears to it—a harmless, un- 
oT phenomenon.—Lugene N. S. Ringueberg, Lockport, 
-E 
Tue Inverness Doc “CLYDE.” —Further letters respecting the 
Inverness dog “Clyde” tend to increase our respect for the sagac- 
ity of that individual. Its owner asserts that he taught himself 
looking at him as if to say, “ Don’t you see what I want ?” 
