Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-08
Animal Intelligence.

Various writers have spoken OF tho be-
havior Of monkeys to their ailing and
dead companions. Mr.. Darwin gives irl-
stances of the grief of female monkeys
for the death of their young. Certain
female monkeys kept by Brehm, in North
Africa, died from grief consequent on the
death of their young. An instance is re-
lated in which female monkey having
been shot, the leader of the troop came to
the door Of the tent and mourned for the
body, after indulging in aseries of threat
ening gestures. The body was given
him, and thereafter he retreated, bearing
it away, with every expression of sorrow,
in his arms. The Gibbons are said to at
tend carefully to injured companions, but
to take no notice OF dead friends.
A monkey has also been known to OK
tend cord to another which had fallen
overheard from vessel. l observed
that when one OF their dead companions
was shown to the remaining occupants of
my cage, they did not appear to be fright
ened, but seemed to regard the dead body
with indifference, and to exhibit very lit
tie curiosity on seeing the still form of
their companions. When, however, one
of the family was ailing, the others paid
it great amount of attention, not al
ways, SO far as l could see, of friendly
or sympathetic nature. When Paddy,
the capuchin, was ill, and in fact Just be-
fore his demise, his friends appeared to
me to endeavor to raise him from the re-
cumbent posture in which he lay. Wheth-
er this was done in anxiety for the suffer
er, or from mere curiosity, I am unable to
say. Perhaps both ideas animated the
a,, ,,, &la,,, ~ 70 hatr cipk
friend. On one occasion 1 observed in
Cetchy, the sooty mangabey, q singular
example Of what conclude may legiti-
mately be called the reasoning faculty in
the truest sense Of the term.
Seeing his anxiety to obtain small
piece Of apple which l held in my hand,
l resolved to test his powers of reason
and of discrimination in the following
way: showed him the piece of apple,
and as he tried to grasp it I allowed it to
slip down the sleeve Of my coat, after the
familiar fashion of the childish coniuring
trick. Cetchy viewed the disappearance
Of the apple with surprise, and minutely
examined my hand-unclosing my fingers
to see if had concealed it therein. AL
lowing the morsel to again come into view,
but being careful to avoid showing its
place of concealment, again passed it up
my sleeve. Cetchy again. narrowly ex.
amined my hand, turning it over 80 as to
see the back of my hand, but of course
without success. The peculiar dissatis.
fed grunt with which Cetchy greeted his
want Of success was both characteristic
and amusing.
then repeated the operation for n
third time, when Cetchy at once, and
without examining my hand again, passed
his hand into my sleeve, and extracted
from its hiding place the coveted morsel
which, may add, was entirely concealed
from the monkeys view AS time passed
it is important to note that Cetchy did
not trouble himself to investigate the
hands in search of the missing apple,
Repetition OF the trick acquainted hin
with its rationale, and his hand we Mt di
rectly to the sleeve for the coveted NOR
sci. In this case we may, think, safely
conclude that the hiding-place of thu
morsel was first detected simply by al
exercise of that common and tacit "rea
son" through which we ourselves gain |
knowledge of the unknown. In the hu
man subject, it is almost needless to add
such treason" may be exercised rs un
consciously MS no doubt, it was put il
force by the mnngavey.