Bisbee daily review., 1907-09-04
LEARNS ID TALK
 WITH CHIMPANzEES
Prof. Garner Spends Years ii the Forest and Studies ;he
 Big Animal,

Although the chimpanzee has never been accused of being a garrulous species, he is very far from being one of the silent members of the animal kingdom, writes R. L. Garner in The Independent. During my first three voyages to this country l seldom heard the wild one talking in the for est. but during my present sojourn Of nearly three years I have been sur prised at the frequency with which I hear them. Sitting here in my house or strolIing about my small premises, I often hear them in the adjancent forest, and not only do hear them, but any number of times have stood by my door and eX- changed calls with them until l tired of the diversion. Several times when the forest was as quiet as a picture I have heard them suddenly begin talking, sometimes in the most en- phatic tones and at others in subdued and gentle ones. It is not continuous like human conversation, but period ical and brief
 Not only does the chimpanzee often break the silence of the forest when all other voices are hushed, but he frequently answers the sounds of oth- CT animals, as if in mockery or de- fiance. It is not in imitation of their sounds, but in immediate response. He seems to find pleasure in answer ing the believing of the crocodile, the scream of the peacock, the yowl of the mangabY and similar cries. In fact, almost any loud shouting soun'l inspires him to a series of vocal gym natics.
 Although diurnaI in habit, the chirn- panZees often made the night rcverbe- rate with the sounds of their terrific screaming, which I have known them to continue at times for more than an hour with scarcely a moments pause not one voice, but many; and With in the area of a square mile or So have distinguished as many as seven alternating, adult voices, engaged. Sc far I have not been able to interpret those strange, nocturnal cries, as l have no means of seeing the conduct of the animal while making them ; but they appear to be of an amicable nature and not expressive of fear or anger. I have sometimes suspected they were intended to ward off in- truders. but I have no means of veri- flying such a fair view of these apes in the bush, as they are always on the alert; but they appear to be ut- terly indifferent to being heard, eith- CT talking or moving about.
 The chimpanzee is generally con ceded to be the most genial and intel ligent of all wild races and he is en- dowed with an innate, though iDcip- tent. sense of humor; but it must be borne in mind that many incidents which amuse mankind do not appeal to the animal mind as being funny. Within the narrow scope of wild life there are but few incentives to mirth and with so little to stimulate the ris- ible faculties they are never highly developed in any wild species; but failing to provoke a chimpanzee to laugh audibly by tickling it under the arm some fifty times should not any more discourage the operator than failing to make it cry by telling it fifty times that it's mother is dead
 From my aeqaintance with the chimpanzee, both wild and in captiy- ity, I regard him as rather a loqua- cious creature; and from the hun dreds of times that have heard him vociferously talking in the forest, l am persuaded that his experience has not convinced him that silence is a great virtue.
 The limits of space here allotted preclude reviewing in detail the vocal powers and speech capacity Of the chimpanzee or other species; but cannot forego saying that few cas- ual observations of an ape in captiv ity and few efforts to teach it tc speak do not justify final verdict as to its capabilities All animals ap l pear much more reticent in captivity than in freedom, and the higher types seem conscious of the futility oi speech.