The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-30
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HASKIN, Director,
Washington, ID. C.
a NAruRALIsr Avn WoRK.

q series of secret murders such as
startled the Rue Morgue." Not un-
less he wore rubber gloves. For there
would be the unmistakable evidence
of his finger prints, which are very
| different from the human finger
| prints, and which, likely as not, could
! be quickly traced to the newly estab-
lished "rogue's gallery of some near
| by zoo.
This assurance is given by DR.. Ray
mond L. Ditmars, curator of reptiles
| of the Bronx Geological park, who has
recently made a thoro study of mon
key hands. Doctor Ditmars was first
interested in the subject by the Amer
| lean Museum of Natural History OF
| this city, which wanted some hand
prints of monkeys to use in its elabor-
ate study of the evolution of man.
The Cation Society of Washington,
which is also devoted to tie study of
mans evolution. was likewise ANXIOUS
! for similar supply.
my only part in the project was to
get the prints" explained Doctor Dit
mars, "but as the work progressed l
became so much interested that
bought several books on palmlstry
containing great numbers of prints of
| human hands"
The curator Immediately found that
while the general hand prints of mon
! keys and those of human beings are
similar. the monkey hand possessing
/
fate line which are to be noted in the
human hand, a close examination
shows striking differences in every IN
stance between the human hand ana
the monkey hand.
1.-THE human hand in all cases" says
he. has the tips of the fingers and
the tip of the thumb marked with
lines arranged in whorls. The mon
key hand, on the contrary, invariably
has the tips of the fingers marked III
straight lines, never in sWhorls.
ION the monkey hand the whorl-
markings are always on the mounts,
the soft Jumps of flesh at the base OF
the fingers. In the human hand these
mounts are always marked with
straight lines. never with Whofls'
mo matter how human the mon
KEYS hand may appear at first glance,
a print examination always shows TINS
difference. altho in the orang outang,
for instance, the resemblance is other
wise startling.
"The whorls on the tips of the fin
gers and especially on the thumb are
the means whereby experts establish
identity. In monkeys the whorls on
the mounts could be used for the
same purpose. Apparently, there are
no two monkeys with the same mark
ings on the mounts of their hands, just
as there are no two human beings
with whorl markings that are exactly
the same on the tips of their thumbs
or fingers
Monkey Character.
In obtaining the finger prints, Doc
tor Ditmars had to confine his ef-
forts to the most tractable monkeys,
the larger and more savage animals
stubbornly holding out against this
process of Identification. But he sue
ceeded in getting specimens of the
rinGtails, a tame black ape, a South
American monkey, a pigtail Ceylon
n n
Javan Macaque and an orang outang.
The principal difficulty lay in keep
ling the animals quiet so that they
would not jump at the psychological
moment.
II used a sheet of dull surface pa
per with fine grain for making the
print explained Doctor Ditmars.
THE monkeys hand was covered with
a paste made of oil and graphite.
After the hand as-covered with the
paper and an excellent print OBJ
tanned.
1T was not, however, as easy as 1t
sounds" said the curator reflectively. |
AT first most of the monkeys imme-
diately licked off the paste. We then
put some cologne in the paste and
this seemed to interest them immense
ly. Their curiosity was so much
aroused that they went thru with the
operation without flinching.
zone fellow persisted in licking his
paw, however, and his actions were so
ridiculous that 1 decided to make
motion picture film of the monkeys
being finger printed to show at a dim
ner of. the New York Geological So
ciety.
Feeling that the monkeys deserved
a treat after being finger printed 1
brought in bunch of bananas and
made a movie of the greedy animals. !
which 1 called Dinner in the Rogues'
Gallery. One monkey distinguished
himself by thrusting an entire banana
crosswise into bis mouth. one end into
one pouch of the cheek and the other
skilfully inserted in the other pouch. I
He then put one finger in his mouth
and broke the banana in the middle"
The finger printing of the monkeys
is only one of the many interesting eX-
periments that Doctor Ditmars is con-
stantly carrying on at the New York
Geological park. Usually these activ-
tiles, started for the curators per-
sonal entertainment. turn out to be of
scientific interest. Thus when he first
set up his movie apparatus in the zoo
and announced his intention of film
ing the various species, no one was
very greatly impressed. Yet many of
these pictures have proved of great
value. In the same casual Wav Doc
tor Ditmars has succeeded in building
up collection of reptiles which is
recognized as one of the finest in the
world.
A Man Who Likes Snakes.
Like several other well-known ma
turalists, this curator is not only
great studentHof reptiles-he is a great
admirer of them. IT am never SO
happy" he says, "as when 1 am on
ledge all acrawl with rattlers. II
take as much delight in their gorgeous
coloring as a jewel collector might in
the prize stones that come into his
possession"
He himself has captured many prize
specimens for the zoo. He knows
about 20 snake dens where snakes hi
bernate, all located within SO miles
of New York, and about this time of
year he starts out on a snake hunting
expedition from which he always re-
turns with a. bag full of kissing rep
tiles: 1t ma kes him furious, however,