San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-09-11
A COUNTING cHlMPANzEs.
Remarkable Exploits of an Ape-Rosults !
of Experiments.

Nature prints an interesting paper read be
fore the Geological society of London by Pro
fessor George J. Romanes, F. r. S., and from
it the following extracts are made:
"A year or two ago it occurred TO me that
might try some psychological experiments
on the intelligence of this animal. The cir.
cumstanoes in which she is placed, however
did not prove favorable for anything like
systematic instruction. Being constantly ex-
posed to the gaze OF a number of people COM
ing and going and having had attention easily
distracted - tnvIl. tbs aDs was uTal.r-=,,i
available for purposes of sutton only during
the early hours of the morning, before the
menagerie is open to the public, and as a
rule did not find it convenient at that time
Therefore, the results which am about TO
describe do not, in my opinion, represent
what might fairly have been expected under
more favorable conditions; if the chimpanzee
could have been kept as domestic pet for a
few months las Kept the cebus kindly lent
me for the purposes of psychological observa
ton by this society, there can be no doubt
that many much more interesting results
might have been obtained. Nevertheless, it
appears to me that even those which have
thus far been obtained are worthy of being
placed on record
Having enlisted the intelligent co-opera.
tfon of the keepers requested them to ask
the ape repeatedly for one straw, two straws,
or three straws These she was to pick uls
and hand out from amsng the litter in her
cage. No constant order was to be observed
in making these requests, but, whenever she
handed number not asked for her offer was
refused. while if she gave the proper num-
Der, her offer was accepted, and she received
a piece of fruit as payment. In this way the
ape was eventually taught to associate these
three numbers with their names. Lastly, if
two straws or three straws were demanded,
she was taught to hold one straw or two
straws in her mouth until she had picked up
the remaining straw, and then to hand the
two straws or the three straws together. This
prevented any possible error arising from hel
of vocal tones-an error which
might well have arisen if each straw had been
asked for separately.
las soon as the animal understood what
was required and had learned to associat,
these three numbers with their names, she
never failed to give the number of straws
asked for Her education vas then extended
in a similar manner from three to four and
from four to five. Here, for reasons to be
stated, | allowed her education tG
terminate. But, more recently, one of the
keepers has endeavOred to advance her in
as far as ten. The result, however,
is what might have been anticipated. al
though she very rarely makes any mistake in
handing out one, two, three, four or five |
straws, according TO the number asked for, !
and, although she is usually accurate in
handing out as many as six or seven when the |
numbers eight, nine or ten are named, the re- |
suit becomes more and more uncertain, so a. |
to be suggestive of gueSswork. 1t is evident, |
however, that she understands the words |
seven, eight, nine and ten to betOken mum |
bers higher than those below them; for if she |
IS asked for any Of these numbers ii. e.,
above six she always gives some number |
that is above six and not more than ten; but
there is no such constant accuracy displayed |
ia handing out the exact number named AZ X
The case below six On the whole, then
while there is no doubt that this animal car
accurately compute any number Of straWs W
70 five, beyond five the accuracy of her com
OutatiOn becomes progressively diminished.
1T is not neoessary-iRdeed, it would be
suppose that in this process
If counting the ape employs any system of
lOtatiOn. We know from our own experience
hat there is counting and counting, i. e., dis,
inguishing between low numbers by directly
lppreciating the difference between two
quantities of sensuSgS perception and dis
between numbers of any amount
~ marking each perception with a separate
ign. The extent to which the former kind OF
can be carried in the case of man
Vas been made the subject of careful re,
earch by Professor Preyer, of Jena. His ex
,erlments consisted in ascertaining the mum,
per Of objects such as dots on a piece OF
,aDerl which admit Of being simultaneously
with accuracy, and it was found
hat the number admits of being largely in
reased by practice until, in the case of some
PERSONS, it may rise TO more than twenty
But, of course, in the case of a brute it is moi
o be expected that such high degree OF
even ia this nOn-nOtative kind OF
should be attainable The utmost
hat could here be expected is that a brute
hoUld exhibit some such level of ability as Il
PRESENTED by young ckild or by those say
LgeS whose powers of accurate computation
10 not appear to extend further than mum
,erS which we write as units 1t was in view
If such considerations that | did not attempt
o carry the education of this ape beyond the
lumber Eve and the result which has at
aimed subsequent endeayors to teach heI
numbers as high As ten is, as previously re-
marked, exactly what might have been an
iCipated 1t may here be added that in tbs
'aly records with which | am acquainted of
.nlRlals exhibiting any powers of numerical |
these powers have not eXHauded
beyond the number FIVE"
4 Little STsuggier.