The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-29
AN APE COUNTS FIVE.
SUCCESS IN TEACHING MATHeMhT-
les TO A ChIMPANzee.
The Method Adopted 10y the Experimenter.
A Psychological Distincticn-How Ami
mails Count Estimating by Muscular
geps~-A Problem for Scientists.

Il
About year ago began, with the assist
| ance OF the keeper, 10 instruct the chiinpan-
zee at the Geological gardens in the art oil
computation. The method adopted was to
ask her for one, two, three. four or five
straws. which she was to pick up and hand
ont from among the litter in her coge. or
course no constant order was observed in
making these requests, but whenever she
handed number not asked for her offer was
refused. In this way the animal learned to
associate the numbers with their names.
Lastly, il more than one straw were asked
for. she was taught to hold the others in her
! mouth until the required number was com
plete, and then to deliver the whole at once.
| This method prevented any possible error
arising from her Interpretation OF vocal
toDes-an error which might we'll have
arisen if each straw had been asked for sep
arately.
RARELY MADE A MISTAKE.
After a few weeks continuous instruction
the ape perfectly well understood what was
required Of her, and up to the time when |
left town, several months ago, she rarely
made mistake in handing me the exact
number of straws that named Doubtless
she still continued to d. so for her keeper
For instance, II she is asked for four straws
she syccesSively picks up three and puts them
in her mouth then she picks up fourth and
hands over all the four together. Thus there
can be no doubt that the animal IL clearly
able to distinguish between tue numbers /, ?,
3, 4 and ., and that she understands the name
for each But as this cbimpauzee Is somewhat
capricious in her moods, even private visitors
must not be disappointed if they fail 10 be
entertained by an exhibition Of her learning
"a caution which il seems desirable to add,
as this is the first time that the attachments
of my pupil have been made known to the
public, although they have been witnessed
by officers Of the society and other biological
friends.
have sent these facts 10 you, sir, because
think that they bear out the psychological
distinction between sensuous estimation and
intellectual notation. Any child, year after
emerging from infancy and not yet knowing
its numerals, could Immediately Sec the
differeuce between five pigs and six pigs, and,
therefore, your writer indicates, it would
be an extraordinary fact if a savage were
unable to do so. But II the savage had 10 deal
with larger number Of pigs the insnfilciency
Of his sersuOus estimation would increase
with the increase OF numbers until a point
would he reached at which, If he were to
keep count at all, he would I've obliged 10 re-
sort 10 some system Of notation-tnat Is, 10
mark off each separate unit with "A separate
nota, whether by fingers, notches or words.
HOW ANIMALS COUNT.
Thus there is counting and counting-dis
tinguishing between low numbers by directly
approaching the difference between two
quantities If sensuous perceptions aud dis
tinguishing between numbers OF any amount
by mar&ir. each sensucus perception with a
separate sign. OF course, IN tho above IN
stances of animals counting, IL must be the
former method alone that j. employed, and
therefore have not sought % carry the ape
beyond the number five, lest ] should spoil
the results already gained. But a careful
research has been made % find how far this
method can be carried in the case Of man.
Tho experiments consisted in ascertaining
the number Of objects such as dots on q
piece OF paper which admit Of being stimuli
taneously estimated with accuracy. II was
found that the number admits of being
largely increased by practice, until, with an
exposure 10 view Of one seconds duration,
the estimate admits OF being correctly made
up to between twenty and thirty objects
In the case Of the ape II is astonishing over
how long time the estimate endures. Sup
posing, FOR instance, that she is requested 20
find fyo colored straws. She perfectly well
understands what is wanted, but as colored
straws are rare in the litter she has 10 seek
about for lhein, and thus il takes her a long
tirle 10 complete the number; yet she re-
members how many she Las successfully
found and put into her mouth, SO that when
the number is completed she delivers II at
once. After having consigned them to her
mouth she never looks at the straws, and,
therefore, her estimate Of their number must
be formed either by the feelings Of her
mouth or by retaining mental impression
of the succss. i've movements Of tcr arm IN
picking mp the straws and placing them in
her mouth. Without being able 10 decide
positively IN which OF these ways She cs.i-
mates tue number, am inclined 10 think IL
is in the latter But, if 80, it is surprising
as already remarked, over how long a time
this estimate by muscular sense endures.-
Mr.. Romaine in Tho London Times.
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Work for the (artoon.>t.