Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-07

opinion is that their chattering is always
accompanied with definite ideas and de-
sire to convey them to others.
After having made records of these two
| young monkeys, L carried the cylinders to
the monkey house, where I reproduced
| them on che phonograph, in the presence of
| the Rhesus monks confined there, and found
| that they gave evidences of understanding.
| And as I succeeded in getting the attention
of the new arrivals L feel thoroughly satis-
| fed that the new word which 1 have dis
| covered in the Rhesus dialect is indeed the
word for food, as used among these
monkeys.
Better to Operate on One Monkey.
And I confidently feel that one more step
in the direction of the mastery of the Sim
ian tongue has been taken. I regard the
experiments as very conclusive. Where
| one monkey is alone very much better re-
suits can be reached, since in that event you
! can attract his attention and keep it fixed
on what you are trying to do, whereas a
number of them occupying the same cage, or
even the same house, are in such close
proximity to one another that their chat
tering and continual talking attracts the at
tention of the monkey upon which you are
trying to operate, and thus in a measure de-
feats your purpose,
have made a good many observations
among the Spider monkeys, but they are
not very intelligent and possess only very
limited number of sounds. Their vocal
powers are very inferior and their sounds
very ambiguous. They are well disposed
and docile, but their language is almost as
inferior to that of the brown Capuchin as
the brown Capuchin's appears to be below
the chimpanzee's, and as the chimpanzee's
appears to be below the lowest order OF
human speech.
For the past month I have been making
records in the Geological Garden at WASH
ington at such times and with such subjects
as I could find.
A Little Fellow Imposed Upon.
In the collection in that garden is still to
be found old 'Prince," the original gray
Macacus from which made the first record
in the phonograph. I regard his language,
however, as very far inferior to that of the
brown Capuchin, which, as 1 believed
year ago, was superior to that of any other
monkey. In the garden here also found
some four or five Capuchins, some of them
very good specimens, all except one being
lection is y little brown monkey whose
name is "Pedio;" he is exceedingly clever
and communicative.
On my first visit to him a month ago I
found him Gagged with several Others In
the same cage was small Spider monkey
who was very fond Of playing with Pedro.
And she had habit of catching him by the
tai. and dragging him on the floor. This,
Pedro seemed to dislike very heartily. He
complained very frequently and very loudly.
but to no purpose. The other monkeys
seemed to impose upon him, depriving him
of his food and all other liberties that
bright little monkey ought to have had in u
free country like this.
Talks Right Into the Horn.
And when I first visited the cage took
his part against the other monkeys and we
soon became friends. He would catch hold
of my fingers through the meshes of the
cage and chatter and show every mark of
appreciation. We soon became great
friends. A little later had him placed in
q cage to himself where have been able to
handle him with comparative ease. 1 have
made splendid photographic record of mis-
speech I got him to hold his mouth right
up to the tube and talk quite loud.
Each succeeding experiment gives me
more and more assurance of the ultimate
success of my studies. The discovery of
the Rhosus word for food has accelerated
my efforts and intensified my hopes. And
while it has required many months of labor
to learn this one new word, feel amply re-
warded for my pains. 1 hope very soon to
be able to add one more word to the list.
R. L. GARNER.