THE SPEECH OF CHIMPANZEES 73 



the same word in the same manner and for the same 

 purpose. 



There are other sounds which are easily identified 

 but difficult to describe, such as that used to signify 

 *'cold" or discomfort " ; another for "drink"; 

 another referring to illness," and still another which 

 I have good reason to believe means "dead" or 

 "death." There are perhaps a dozen more that I 

 can distinguish, but have not yet been able to 

 determine their meaning. I have an opinion as to 

 some of them which I have not yet verified. 



The chimpanzee makes use of a few signs which 

 seem to be fixed factors of expression. He makes 

 a negative sign by moving the head from side to 

 side, but the gesture is not frequent or pronounced. 

 Another negative sign, which is more common, is a 

 motion of the hand from the body towards the person 

 or thing addressed. This sign is sometimes made 

 with great emphasis, and there can be no question 

 as to what it means. The manner of making the 

 sign is not uniform. Sometimes it is done by an 

 urgent motion of the hand. Bringing it from his 

 opposite side, with the back forward, it is waved 

 towards any one approaching, if the ape object to 

 the approach. The same sign is often made as a 

 refusal of anything offered him. Another way of 

 making this sign is with the arm extended forward, 

 the hand hanging down, and the back towards 

 the person approaching or the thing refused. In 

 addition to these negative signs there is one which 

 may be regarded as affirmative. It is made simply 



