Semi-weekly herald., 1913-04-07


began to exhibit marked discolora-
ton, due to inflammation. An ex-
animation was therupon made, and
Mr.. Blackburne, head keeper of the
ZOO (who will voucA for. tlse correct
ness Of this story, cut open the pouch
with lancet from the outside, and
removed the nut, seterwsrd closing
the wound with stitchss.
The macaque lost Do time IN pick
ing out the sitchss, end, having thus
opened hole IN hia face, proceeded
to make experiment. He found, to
start with, that . pesnut, contributed
by . passing visitor, Il put into his
mouth, could bs taken out through his
cheek; and. 90 . coroIary to his phys
illogical proposition, that the same
peanut, or another, cpaald he inserted
into his cheek aasd tken ont of his
mouth.
Wonder Of wonder,i Such q feat
was never accomplished by q monkey
before. Indeed, his companions in
the cage gathered about him as he
went through the performance again
and again, and gassd 1t him with such
awe as human heings Of an earlier
and more credulous eBoch might have
evinced in beholding nmethfng in the
line Of an undoubted and unquestion-
able miracle.
To them he was magician, and
their amazement may well be imag-
ined when they saw him, in the exc
cution of his final and supreme
achievement, take stalk of hay, and
with a conscious air, as if to say,
mo deception, ladies and gentlemen
Just watch me closely while do it!''
put the stalk into his mouth, draw it
out through his cheek, and then, re-
versing the process. pull it back and
out Of his mouth again.
Unfortunately, this sort Of bust
ness, however interesting spectacu-
larly from simian point of view
had the effect of preventing the
wound from healing; and Mr.. Black.
burne was obliged to put the macaqus
into cage by himself, supplying hin
with soft food only, and denying him
hay or straw for bedding, until hi.
cheek was well.
The intense interest in the phenom
enon shown by other occupants of tht
cage, no less than the inclination t.
experimental inquiry exhibited by thu
monkey magician himself, was un
mistakably expressive of those pro
cesses which in human beings woult
be termed thinking. There could no
even be any question Of what botl
performer and spectators were think
| ing about. And yet there are man!
naturalists who would have us be
lieve that the lower animals do n,
thinking at all; in other words, tina
they are mere automata.
This marionette theory Of anima
creation, which meets with acceptance
) surprisingly general, is rejected il
toto by no less an authority than Dr.
Frank Baker Of the Smithsonian insti
tuition, who is one of the foremos
living psychologists. He is superin
tendent the National zoo (which i
conducted by the Smithsonian, ant
acting in that capacity, has had tn
advantage Of intimate acquaintanc
with wild animals for many years.
That animals think, DR.. Baker ha
no doubt whatever. n is altogethe
likely, says he, that their idle mo
ments are occupied with reflection
!. that relate to the various phases o
their life and experience.
With these reflections are inter
woven such ideas as may be excite
by visual or other impressions of tn
moment Thus, the Bengal tiger, re
posing in his cage, probably has mem
ories of the jungle lii he was no
caught too young), which, while float
ing through his mind, may be inter
rupted by the disapproving observa
tion Of visitor who pokes site
into his cage. He hears noise tina
is made by the sharpening of a BIZ
knife downstairs, which suggests t
him the idea of dfnner-the sound il
question usually preceding by abou
an hour the serving Of the noonda
meal Of beef or mutton.
There was another monkey at tn
National zoo, named Jocko, which wor
earrings-these ornaments havinl
been contributed by sailor who be
came intimate with the animal O.
shipboard. He used to amuse him
self by the hour in poking cockroache
out Of cracks between the boards tina
formed the walls of his cage, employ
ing straws for the purpose. If {
straw was too long, it would benc
and so was ineffective as a poker
As soon as he ascertained this, tn
monkey would bite it Oft to the prope
length.
Even q monkey has got to hav
some sort Of amusement while il
prison, and Jocko managed to OBJ
ftain much entertainmeat 1t the ex
. pense of an unfriendly hysna in tn