The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-11-06
Monkeys and Their Antics.

Monkeys and Their Antics.
Perry says that dogs are the only
animals capable of reading the human
face; but monkeys, with the exception
of the New World species, can read it
better than little children. L had a little
female Java macacus, of an exceed
ingly pleasant and timid nature.
had only to raise my voice in speaking
to her to arrest all her motions. When
L returned to the room she would fol.
low me with her eyes, trying to read
the expression OF my face, and en-
deavOring TO gain my sympathy by low
murmuring, going away or coming up
to me according to the play of my fea-
lures. If she saw me smile, she would
make sound of gladness, clasp my
knees and press against me, with muir
muring lips and eyes gazing into mine.
But at the first frown or hard look the
Macacus would drop into crying and
run away. The rhesus would respond
i'll a somewhat similar manner to my
expressions.
| Monkeys have a passion for cleanli-
ness. Once on your knees they will
pick you from head to foot, not letting
q wrinkle escape, and all with the most
serious air. My Rhesus, could not en-
dure badly dressed persons. He was
always ready to defend me, and to
spring upon any one who. would touch
me with the tip of his finger. He had
no respect fer child, but acted as If he
took them to be large mOnkeys, and
would sometimes attack them when
they were too saucy. Some of the
other monkeys, however, seemed to be
fond of them The rhesus appreciated
the inferiority of my servants to myself,
and would become angry at any one of
them when reprimanded him, his
anger being modulated according to-
my tone He co-operated Ia all my
gestures When L acted as it / were
! beating man er dog; bus if it were
another monkey that was threatened,
| he took it's side.
The feeling of compassion is not
strange to monkeys. They will defend
and protect individuals, sometimes of
fering their own bodiesas shield. They
extend their pity to animals OF
other species. The rhes1s became
| furious when he saw the ferret, in the
course of his, training lessons, biting
rats, and, taking him by the tail, bit
him TO save the rat.
The rhesus slept at first perched on
the bars of his cage, but soon learned
to take easier positions and cover him
self with quilt He often had lively
dreams. L could see. him grin, and
utter low but distinct sounds of c0m-
! fort. of desire and sometimes of fright.
| His obedience was complete, except
as regarded food. If / left any deli
cncy on the table, he would never touch
it when l was looking on. but, after my
back was turned, nothing of it could
be found. Putting a, stuffed snake
skin beside any coveted object, how
ever, always secured its protection.
The rhesus preferred roast fowl and
roast mutton TO all other meats, and
also liked eggs, raw ca cooked. His
weakness for eggs once cost me q con-
siderable sum, which l had to pay a
neighbor for $50 eggs of high-bred
fowls which my pet had destroyed He
liked to vary his food. He ate all kinds
of seeds, preferred asparagus among
vegetables, and was, fond of fruit. he
would take his milk or drink from a
glass like person. and so far initiated
deprayed humanity as TO smoke and
get drunk when he got the chance.
The feeling of the right of property
is common to all the monkeys. L gave
a red quilt to q Java macaeus and a
blue one to another macacus. Each
ono was jealous OF his own garment,
and the least infringement by one on
the property rights of the other was
followed by battle.
Perty says that monkeys can unte
ropes, but can not tie them. Is this 9
mark of inferiority? Monkeys, like
other animals, have for most of then
actions determined object. My rhe
sus was obliged, to get honey, to oper
the closet and to unite q rope. He die
both. But Why should he shut tn,
door or tie the rope again? Do we no
have to teach children and Doors to shu
doors?
Monkeys can estimate weights. NJ,
rhesus could pick out solid eggs iron
empty shells and those lied with iron
, filings, lead, sawdust, and sand. j
can not be denied that monkeys hav'
some, but weak notion OF numbers
, as has been proven by many interesting
! experiments.
Monkeys have something of a Ian
guage among themselves that is easil,
/, understood by individuals of the sam
: species. Members of the same spe
cies, il not too remote, can after q Tim
learn to understand each other. Blu
the anecdotes about the propensity G
s monkeys to initiate man are much eS
j, aggerated. They have physic0
Q structure like his, and mental qualitie
; in some respects not wholly dissimIla
v from his, and naturally make gesture
a like those os mon, and that is the MOI
a OF truth there is in those stories. --Ipl
/, ular Science Monthly,