Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo17amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
At the left, Skirrl sits pensively waiting for something to do. At the right, he is shown in one of his early attempts at sawing. Skirrl was studied in comparison with Jimmie, another adult male mon- key of the same species (Pithecus irus). Jimmie, vicious and never to be trusted, showed no interest except in other monkeys, in his enemies, or food, whereas Skirrl was delighted with any object which he might put to some mechanical use. He used a saw in as many ways as might a boy of four or five years. He did not imitate the experimenter and learn to use it in the conventional manner, but pre- ferred to work out his own methods. In the use of tools this monkey's behavior was so unusual and individual that it amounted to genius
Text Appearing After Image:
One day Skirrl was noticed pounding a nail he had found in his cage. He was at once provided with hammer, nails, and a board, and soon his skill, without tuition, in driving the nail into the board more than equaled that of the unpracticed human being. Jimmie, on the other hand, would throw the hammer into one corner of his cage, scatter the nails about, and try to tear the board to pieces with his teeth. Observations of such extreme differences in individuality among animals are a spur to a more profound study of man, to the end that there may be formulated for the future a science of human behavior 241

Note About Images