Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 30.djvu/35

Rh and Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, observed the latter with earnest attention. As soon as it had thoroughly studied its visitor, it took a cane, bent itself over like an old man, and imitated his gait. Another orang-outang had learned how to get upon a chair and open a door-latch, which was otherwise out of its reach. The chair it was accustomed to use having been taken away, it went and got another from the corner, brought it to the door, and mounted it. Houzeau regards these facts as indicating the existence of an inventive faculty, of a decided intention looking to a fixed end, and a perception of the relation of cause and effect, A black chimpanzee of Buffon's knew how to unlock the door, and, if it did not find the key in the lock, would look for it. This monkey took its meals like a well-bred person, ate with a spoon and fork, used a plate, and served itself with wine. The anthropoid ape Mafuka, in the Zoölogical Garden of Dresden, knew all about the way to open the door of its cage. It would steal the key and hide it under its arm till it wanted to use it. At one time, after watching a carpenter at work, it got his gimlet and bored holes in its table. At meals it filled its own cup from the pitcher, and took care not to let it run over.

Mr. Cobs gave his young orang-outang half an orange, put the other half in a cupboard, and lay down on the sofa. Remarking some peculiarity in the movements of the orang, he pretended to be asleep. The animal came cautiously up to him to assure itself that he was asleep, then climbed upon the cupboard, took the rest of the orange and ate it, hid the peel carefully under the sticks in the fire-place, and then itself lay down. Such manner of action, says Tylor, can hardly be explained except by a train of thoughts supposing the existence of what among ourselves we call reason.

Bennett had to chide a young gibbon many times for putting things out of their places, among other things a cake of soap. One morning when he was writing he observed the monkey taking the soap, and watched its operations in such a manner that he should not himself be observed. Seeing him apparently occupied with his writing, the monkey went off with the soap in its hand. When it had got to the middle of the cabin, Bennett spoke to it in such a manner as not to startle it. When it perceived that it had been seen, it returned and put the soap in very nearly the place from which it had taken it.

Monkeys seem well adapted to perform some kinds of domestic offices, and acquit themselves gracefully in them. The natives of Madagascar train the short-tailed lemur for hunting, where it renders the same services as a dog. Pyrard says that in his time the colonists of Sierra Leone employed chimpanzees in carrying water and beating in mortars. They would carry the water in jars on their heads, but would drop their burdens if some one was not at hand to relieve them from the load, Acosta tells of a monkey belonging to the Governor of Cartagena, which they were accustomed to send with a bottle and