The Somerset reporter., 1890-12-25
SELECTED.
SALLY"


Catherine C. Hopley.
Without doubt the most popular indi-
vidual In the London Geological Gardens
Is Miss Sally, tie bald chimpapEee,
Known to science as Anthropopithecu
calvus. Her intelligence is 50 remarkable
that during her performances one ex-
poets every moment to see a smile or a
frown, or the raising of eyebrows, some
visible response In the way of pleasure
or anger, but no, u G face wears alw avs
the zane imperturable look, as If, how
ever, Sally were considering in her own
mind her present life aud her future pros
poets. More especially when spoken
to she appears to be mentally deciding
whether she will be obliging or the con-
trary. To her oaedit be 1t said she usu-
ally complies, but with the same un-
changing expression of physognomy.
The question has been frequently dis
cussed, Can animals count?n Sir John
Lubbock among others has given much
attention to some apparent examples In
the case of insects, bees and others,
which in feeding their young invariably
| bring the same number of victims, more
to female than TO male grub. But
In passing 1t may be suggested that q
knowledge of quantity rather than num-
Der is the guiding instinct, the female
grub being larger and requiring more
food.
Now there are animals at present In
our Geological Gardens who are unfail-
inglV correct regarding numbers; and
In both cases the comprehension OF &C
tual language directs them. First, a.
being by far the more accomplished
scholar, comes Sally. 1t is no regular
routine that she goes through, nor one
voice only that she obeys. Not only has
she two keepers, both being in turn her
tutors, but il casual visitor asks for
straw, six straws, ten straws, or to shake
hands with her, as may be, and Sally is
In an amiable mood, she complies as If
her keeper had spoken the words. For
time, and after much teaching, three
seemed to be the limit of her calcula-
tions. Then she advanced to -four and
then five, and here she stopped for
year or two, her keepers almost ren-
gushing hope of any further advance.
But suddenly her intellect seemed to
gain Strength and now she can count
ten correctly. BY counting" we, Of
course, means that she compartments
clearly how many straws to pick up If
| told to give ten to her keeper, or to any
me else who requests that number, her
compliance toward stranger being
| however, less certain, as Sally resents
anwarrsntableliberti Her steady and
methodical way of going through cher
lessons" is an example to any pupil.
Deliberately she selects straw and holds
it In her mouth while she picks up an
other, passing that to her mouth and
so on, until the required number is col
lected; she then takes them from her
lips, folds the bundle in compact form
and delivers it to her keeper.
But her comprehension of language
does not end here. "Give me straw
though the bars and she does 20. "Put
one through the key hole" now in my
pocket" and SO on. Not taxing her pa
thence too long, the keeper approvingly
says: GOOD girl, now you may have this
piece of apple, laying several slices on
wood work between tn, wires. This
piece is for you to SMELL" this bit you
may look at, but not to. oh until | tell
you;" Sally giving her undivided atten-
ton, not attempting to eat any more
until the keeper says: "Now you may
have this piece or that" To "shake
hands" with the right or left one, to put
| up her right or left loot us OlodeD, TO
collect straws for a "button-hole and
with a spoon 'like lady" ard many
other small performances are promptly
though deliberately, executed as the
words are spoken. ! have watched her
pften but have never seen her make q
mistake in her comprehension of the
request.
Sally is supposed to DO about nine
years old at the present time. She has
been an inmate of the garden seven
wears, and was apparently two years old
IN her arrival. he grew rather quickly
at first, and row must have attained
DEARLY full growth, any further change
being very slow.
Intelligent a. this lady chimpanzee I'M
| toubtedly Is, 1t must be admitted that
| her temper, to speak in the mildest terms
| Is extremely capricious. Affectionate and
| fond of one Of her keepers to an extent
hat she is credited with shedding teas
If he too abruptly ceases his attentions
and departs Ut is but polite to attribute
| the tears" to foDdness and not to an
ger,) she has sometimes gripped his
hand and inflicted a sudden bite that has
ad to tell, proved very vicious ma
ture. Those who venture on any car
.sses must be vgilanty on their guard.
for there is no knowing Sallys freaks Of
emper; and occasionally. when her At
tention and her memory have been over
| aXed by the exsctions of continuous
.tream of visitors, she will suddenly dash
away to the back or top Of her cage and
fer unmistakable proof that she is but
IN untuetored savage after all
| On other accomplishment of Sslly's
must not be ommitted, and that is her
singing" Here the monkey quality OF
initiation is apparent and nothing more.
When her keeper says, Now, Sally, give
us q song" and leads of with q strain,
"Tra-la-la" or otherwise, the creature
lifts up her voice and gives utterance to
succession Of discordant screeches
which can be compared neither to the
braying Of an ass, nor the quacking Of
IN angry goose, nor the lane uage Of fe-
line serenaders, but = compound Of oil,
ending in . long cadenza yell and an air
II self-satisfaction that is laughable.
Sally has done her best, but she cannot
re included 10 the category Of the anil
malls with . discrimination Of sound,
which Mr.. r. E. Stearns has lately been
.numersting.
As may be supposed Sally has proved
an Interesting object to scientific men,
many Of whom have been to witness her
capabilities. Had they time to watch her
or attempt to instruct her with the pa
hence and perseverance OF her keepers
10 do the latter justice), or TO 60 through
the same routine with some other mem.
bers Of the monkey tribe, they might On.
able ~ to ascertain the true workings
Of eallyS brain. and whether mem.
orr, or . comprehension Of sound or Of
oOrds In the human voice, Q clear per.
ception OF quantity In gstle ring just %
many etxaws, no more, no fewer, than
The required number, induces this obedi.
enco or compliance on her part. Mem.
ory undoabtedly 10 ~ agent sud 10 this
~ - Addod Z poVof Of concAntratin9