New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-21
APES AND MEN.
A REAL ANIMAL LANGUAGE.
From The London Spectator,


In the New Review" for June, there IS very re
markable paper by Professor Garner the language OF
apes which ne has been studying with the help OF the
pnoIOgisph, of which he thinks that he has
Quired at least some of the rudiments He tells us
that, with the consent Of Dr. Frank Baker director OF
the National Geological Gardens at Washington, he
separated pair of apes which had been living together
and placed them in different rooms. Then he PLACID
the pho1ograph near the cage OF inc iemale' anu re-
cord few of the sounds which she had uttered IN
that instrument 1t was then removed TO the cell
Of the male and made to repeat the sounds thus
registered. Tho surprise and perpeXty of the male
We're evident lie traced the sounds TO the horn from
thrust hi, hand and arm into the horn quite up 10 his
shoulders withdrew IT, and peeped into the horn again
and again. lie would then retreat and again cautiously
approach the horn, which he examined with evident
interest. Tho expressions of his face wcro indeed
study
Using the phonograph and doing all in his power
to initiate its sound alter he had obtained what he be-
levcd be the chimpanzee word either for milk for
the desire to obtain milk, Professor Garner made the
creates, effort repeat this word with his own tongue
and lips to a capuchn monkey The monkey inme-
diately turned to look at him. and when he had re-
peaed it three or four times very distinctly, the
monkey repeated the sound and turned to pan kept
in his cage for supplying him with drink brought the
pan b tho front Of thc cage came quite up to the bars
and uttered the word himself though yet Professor
Garner had not shown him any milk any other
drink. Then and not till then, milk was brought and
poured into The pan which the monkey drank with
three or ur times Professor Garner fOund that
when ba wanted his pan repenished he always used
tha am. somnd And as when water was used in
stead OF milk the word was repeated 70 express
denoted either liquid or the thirst which satisfied
by LIQUID. The same experiment tried with a
sound which Professor discovered 10 be always
used in connection with solid food, banana, or a car,
rot bit OF bread, or apple; and as the same word
seemed to apply to all of them equally Professor
Garner inferred that the word described either solid
food in general the hunger for it, And in the same
way be discovered the sound which described pain or
sickness and another which expressed either sense
of danger or threat the effect Of it, uitcrance being
10 alarm the monkey violently that he always spahS
10 the highest point in his and after it had been
repeated three four times the result was that the
creature became almost frantic with dread nor would
this monkey allowed himself to be attracted by the
words for drink food after he had once learned to
associate Professor with this sound, expressive
Of either danger In this fashion Professor
Garner Obtained the mastery Of about eight or nine
sounds which NAV he changed by different moduatiOns
into three or four times that number as 10 express
modified forms NJ the same word. all OF them chlehy
vowel sounds with the barest indication Of something
like consonant and these sounds Professor Garner re-
CARDS as the constituent clements Of an ape-language
which has a variety Ol different dialects, according 10
the species of ape addressed