San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-03

For instance, II SIS asked for ,csr stii1Vs
she successfully picks up three and puts them
in her mouth; then she picks up fourth ana
hands over all the four together, Thus there
can be no doubt that the animal is clearly
able to distinguish between the numbers |, 2,
3, and 5, and that she understands the name
for each. But as this chimpanzee is somewhat,
capricious in her moods, even private visitors
must not be disappointed if they fail to be
entertained by an exhibition of her learning
"a caution which it 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 to you, sir, because
think that they bear out the psychological
distinction between sensuous estimation and
intellectual notation. ANY child, a year after
emerging from infancy and not yet knowing
its numerals could Immediately see the
difference between five pigs and six pigs, and,
therefore, as your writer indicates, it would
be an extraordinary fact if a savage were
unable to do so. But if the savage had to deal
with a larger number of pigs the insufiiciency
of his sensuous estimation would increase
with the increase of numbers until a point
would be reached at which, if he were to
keep count at ALL he would be obliged TO re-
sort to some system of notation-tnat is, to
mark OFF each separate unit with a separate
nota, whether by fingers, notches or words.
HOW ANIMALS COUNT.
Thus there is counting and eounting-dis-
tinguishing between low numbers by directly
approaching the difference between two
quantities of sensuous perceptions, and dis
hays Of ON amnnnf
by marking each sensuous perception with
separate sign. or course, in tho above in
stances of animals counting. it must be the
former method alone that is employed. and
therefore | have not sought to carry the ape
beyond the number five, lest / should spoil
the results already gained. But a careful
research has been made to find how far this
method can be carried in the case Of man.
The experiments consisted in ascertaining
the number of objects such as dots on a
piece of paper which admit of being stimuli
taneousy estimated with accuracy. 1t was
found that the number admits of being
largely increased by practice, until, with an
exposure to view of one seconds duratiot,
the estimate admits Of being correctly made
up to between twenty and thirty objects.
In the case of the ape it is astonishing over
how long a time the estimate endures. Sup
posing, for instance, that she is requested to
find five colored straws. She perfectly well
understands what is wanted, but as colored,
straws are rare in the litter she has to seeki
about for them, and thus it takes her longs
time to complete the number; yet she re- !
members how many she has SUCCESSFULLY
found and put into her mouth, so that whenj
the number is completed she delivers it 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 successive movements of her arm in
picking up the straws and placing them in
her mouth. Without being able to decide
positively in which Of these ways she esti-
mates the number, am inclined TO think it
is in tao latter. But, if 50, it il surprising,
as already remarked, over how long time
this estimate by muscular sense endures.--
Mr. Romano in The London Times. =