Morris tribune., 1897-03-24
ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE.
A Dog That Could Spell Teaching
Monkeys TO Read.

Monkeys TO Read.
Not a little surprise was occasioned
some ten or twelve years ago, when
Sir John Lubbock, the distinguished
British naturalist, announced that a
favorite dog of his had been suffi-
GENTLY initiated into the mysteries OF
the English alphabet to permit him
to properly spell short monosyllable
words, and to interpret these in q
manner SO as to convey his canine
| thoughts to his master. In brief, by
means of cards, Of single letter
each, Zip, by bringing them together
in their proper sequence, would spell
out the desired words of his mind
such as meat" "out," go" etc
and, placing these at the foot Of Mr..
Lubbock, awaited the reply they were
expected to bring forth, and which
was invariably assured. There can
hardly be question that the mental
operation which determined thespell-
ing and Interpretation of the words
was identical in kind with that which
is made the basis of our own early
comprehension-that which is assoc
ciated with the learning from letter
blocks by children-and whether it
was more in the nature of memory
feat than anything else barely af-
fects the question. A few years later
equal surprise was manifested at the
exploits Of certain baboon in South
Africa, which, on the death of its mas7
ter-a flagman on the Natal Colony
railway-performed his services with
such regularity and precision as to
warrant the retention Of the ape in
the employ Of the railway company
until the time Of his death. 1t is I'M
fortunate that no detailed scientific
examination Of this remarkable sim
ian was made possible, but general
facts surrounding its career are a
part Of geological history.
We are as yet hardly in position to
judge Of the mental capacity of the
apes, but there is scarcely doubt that
it is Of a much higher order than is
commonlyassumed. Stanley, quoting
from the note book Of the late Emin
Pasha, asserts that some Of the an
thropoids of East Central Africa are
acquainted with the use Of fire, and
that in small droves, under the guild
ance Of torchlight, they would con
duct their foraging expeditions. If
this is true-and there seems little
reason to distrust the statements of
so accurate an observer as was Emin
Pasha-then it is an indication Of a
decidedly advanced position held by
the animal in relation to the arts.
The recent efforts Of Mr.. Garner, Of
Washington, to interpret monkey
speech by locking himself up with the
large anthropoid apes in the forests
Of equatorial Africa, and to deduce
from this speech the limits Of simian
observation and reasoning, have had
no results, except those Of failure.
Much more can be expected from the
school or schools which have latEerly
been established by the British gov
eminent in India for the instruction
in reading, writing and manners Of
apes and accurately determining
their capabilities. One such, in the
presidency Of Bombay, with six quail
flied instructors, has recently sent in
a report Of progress, and from this
it would appear that the chances are
at least good to make reputable and
cultured" beings, shall we call
them? out Of si1nian stock. The
full results Of what promises to be
a most important inquiry will be
awaited with much interest. -Cleve-
land Inadnr