180 
ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 
The powers of observation and readiness to establish 
new associations thus rendered apparent, display a high 
level of general intelligence. Mr. Darwin further ob- 
serves that Mr. Belt 6 likewise describes various actions 
of a tamed cebus, which, I think, clearly show that this 
animal possessed some reasoning power . 9 The following 
is the account to which Mr. Darwin here refers, and.! 
quote it in extenso , because, as I shall presently show, I 
have myself been able to confirm most of the observa 
tions on another monkey of the same genus : — 
It would sometimes entangle itself round a pole to which it 
was fastened, and then unwind the coils again with the greatest 
discernment. Its chain allowed it to swing down below the 
verandah, but it could not reach to the ground. Sometimes, 
when there were broods of young ducks about, it would hold 
out a piece of bread in one hand, and when it had tempted a 
duckling within reach, seize it by the other, and kill it with a 
bite in the breast. There was such an uproar amongst the 
fowls on these occasions, that we soon knew what was the 
matter, and would rush out and punish Mickey (as we called 
him) with a switch ; so that he was ultimately cured of his 
poultry-killing propensities. One day, when whipping him, I 
held up the dead duckling in front of him, and at each blow of 
the light switch told him to take hold of it, and at last, much 
to my surprise, he did so, taking it and holding it tremblingly 
in one hand. He would draw things towards him with a stick, 
and even used a swing for the same purpose. It had been put- 
up for the children, and could be reached by Mickey, who now 
and then indulged himself in a swing on it. One day I had 
put down some bird-skins on a chair to dry, far beyond, as I 
thought, Mickey’s reach ; but, fertile in expedients, he took the 
swing and launched it towards the chair, and actually managed 
to knock the skins off in the return of the swing, so as to bring 
them within his reach. He also procured some jelly that was 
set out to cool in the same way. Mickey’s actions were very 
human-like. When any one came near to fondle him, he never 
neglected the opportunity of pocket-picking. He would pull 
out letters, and quickly take them from their envelopes . 1 
I shall now proceed to state some further facts, show- 
ing the high level of intelligence to which monkeys of 
various kinds attain, 
1 Naturalist in Nicaragua, p. 119. 
