A Hand-book to the Primates, Volume 2 (of 2)Forbes, Henry O. (Henry Ogg)
Science
A Hand-book to the Primates, Volume 2 (of 2)
Forbes, Henry O. (Henry Ogg)
Primates
HABITS.--The Bald Chimpanzee showed in captivity a disposition to live on
animal food, which the Common Chimpanzee never does. "Sally" had also the
singular habit of producing pellets, resembling the castings thrown up by
Raptorial birds; they were composed of feathers (of the birds she had
eaten) and other indigestible substances taken with her food. Moreover,
"Sally," as this Chimpanzee, now famous in the annals of zoology, was
named, was an expert rat-catcher, and caught and killed many rats that
entered her cage. "Her intelligence was {201}far above that of the ordinary
Chimpanzee. With but little trouble she could be taught to do many things
that require the exercise of considerable thought and understanding."
(_Bartlett._) In general habits _A. calvus_ differs, so far as known, in no
respect from _A. troglodytes_.
It was on this Ape that the late Dr. G. J. Romanes, attracted by its high
intelligence, made his interesting psychological experiments, which are
related in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1889. "Her
intelligence was conspicuously displayed by the remarkable degree in which
she was able to understand the meaning of spoken language--a degree fully
equal to that presented by an infant a few months before emerging from
infancy, and, therefore, higher than that which is presented by any brute,
so far at least as I have met with any evidence to show. Having enlisted
the intelligent co-operation of the keepers, I requested them to ask the
Ape repeatedly for one straw, two straws, or three straws. These she was to
pick up and hand out from among the litter of her cage. No constant order
was to be observed in making these requests, but whenever she handed a
number not asked for, her offer was to be refused, while if she gave the
proper number her offer was to be accepted, and she was to receive a piece
of fruit as payment. In this way the Ape was eventually taught to associate
these three numbers with their names.... As soon as the animal understood
what was required, and had learnt to associate these three numbers with
their names, she never failed to give the number of straws asked for. Her
education was then extended in a similar manner from three to four and four
to five straws." "Sally" rarely made mistakes up to that number, but above
five and up to ten, to which one of the keepers endeavoured to advance her
education, the result is uncertain. {202}"It is evident that she
understands the words seven, eight, nine, and ten, to betoken numbers
higher than those below them, and when she was asked for any of these
numbers above six, she always gave some number over six and under ten. She
sometimes doubled over a straw to make it present two ends, and was
supposed to hasten, with the small stock of patience she possessed, the
attainment of her task." Dr. Romanes was disposed to think that the
uncertainty which attended her dealing with the numbers six and seven was
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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