Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-06-23
A Monkeys Fear of serpcnts.

In the monkey house at the Philadelphia
Geological Garden a dead snake was coiled
up in newspaper, the corners of which
were twisted together in such a manner
that they would readily come undone, and
the package was then set on the floor of a
cage containing forty or fifty monkeys of
great variety of species. 1t was instantly
spied by female CyRocephalus, who was
the principal leader in all the pranks with
which the monkeys constantly amused
themselves; she seized the paper by one
corner and set off across the cage, dragging
it behind her, evidently intending to have a
good time with it. Before she had gone
more than Z few feet, the paper became un-
folded and the snake slipped partly out. She
instantly dropped the paper and sided off
In very comical manner with her head
over her shoulder, keeping an eye behind
her, much as Lots wife must have looked
back on the fascinating terrors of the cities
of the plain. No sooner did the rest of
the monkeys perceive the dreadful object
IN their midst than they approached step
by step, and formed in a circle of six or
eight feet diameter, having for its centre
the snake quietly coiled up on the floor
None dared, however, to touch it or 90
beyond the established line of safety, with
the exception of one large Macaque, the
acknowledged leader of the cage. who eau
tiously approached and made an occasional
snatch at the paper, apparently to see if
the enemy was really as devoid Of life as it
appeared to be; all the others meanwhile
looking on in breathless attention. At this
point, string which had previously been at
tached to the tail of tie snake was gently
pulled. The serpent heightened slightly,
and the monkeys fled up the sides of the
cage, chattering like magpies; when they
got TO safe distance they halted for OBJ
servation, and after some moments, seeing
no further sign of danger, they gradually
returned, one by one, TO their former posi-
tion-the large ones in the front rank, and
the smaller ones. crowded out by superior
strength, forming behind and looking over
their shoulders. This was continued for
some hours without the slightest change m
the disposition of the monkeys, all of their
actions showing most intolerable fear of
the snake. mingled with an attraction or
curiosity which would not allow them to
remain away from it. This was SO uni
versal that not one of the monkeys in the
cage was entirely free from it. The snake
was finally taken out and several other
animals belonging to the same class were
put in its place, but with very different re-
suits. Of a tortoise, for instance, and
small dead alligator, they were at first
rather shy, but they at length began to
touch them and in ten minutes they were
playing with them and passing them from
one to another with the greatest curiosity.
The same snake was then shown, IN turn,
to animals belonging to number of other
orders: Carnivors, Rodents, Ungulates,
Edentates, and Marsupials, but none of
them paid 1t any special attertion, with
the exception of a peccary, which finding
it to be dead, seemed disposed to make
meal of II.