The Speech of Monkeys

"The Speech of Monkeys" by R. L. Garner is a late 19th-century investigation into how monkeys communicate. The author looks into the idea that monkeys have their own form of speech that scientists haven't fully figured out yet. Garner shares what he saw and did as he tried to understand the noises and movements that different kinds of monkeys make. Early on, he talks about how he became interested in animal communication after a childhood trip to the zoo, where he saw monkeys interacting in what seemed like a language. This experience motivated him to use a phonograph to record and study their sounds, which led him to believe that monkeys use specific sounds to mean certain things, like warnings or asking for food. Through careful study, Garner shows readers how complicated monkey communication is and sets the stage for his research into where speech comes from and what it's like.