Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
1
188
The Speech of Monkeys
·
R. L. Garner
10
About
eight
years
ago,
in
the
Cincinnati
Zoological
Garden,
I
was
deeply
impressed
by
the
conduct
of
a
number
of
monkeys
occupying
a
cage
with
a
huge,
savage
mandril,
which
they
seemed
very
much
to
fear
and
dislike.
By
means
of
a
wall,
the
cage
was
divided
into
two
compartments,
through
which
was
a
small
doorway,
just
large
enough
to
allow
the
occupants
of
the
cage
to
pass
from
one
room
to
the
other.
The
inner
compartment
of
the
cage
was
used
for
their
winter
quarters
and
sleeping
apartments;
the
outer,
consisting
simply
of
a
well-constructed
iron
cage,
was
intended
for
exercise
and
summer
occupancy.
Every
movement
of
this
mandril
seemed
to
be
closely
watched
by
the
monkeys
that
were
in
a
position
to
see
him,
and
instantly
reported
to
the
others
in
the
adjoining
compartment.
I
watched
them
for
hours,
and
felt
assured
that
they
had
a
form
of
speech
by
means
of
which
they
communicated
with
each
other.
During
the
time
I
remained,
I
discovered
that
a
certain
sound
would
invariably
cause
them
to
act
in
a
certain
way,
and,
in
the
course
of
my
visit,
I
discovered
that
I
could
myself
tell,
by
the
sounds
the
monkeys
would
make,
just
what
the
mandril
was
doing--that
is,
I
could
tell
whether
he
was
asleep
or
whether
he
was
moving
about
in
his
cage.
Having
interpreted
one
or
two
of
these
sounds,
I
felt
inspired
with
the
belief
that
I
could
learn
them,
and
felt
that
the
"key
to
the
secret
chamber"
was
within
my
grasp.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
