Zoological Society, 209 



such violence against the wall as to throw him on his back, then as- 

 cending a chest which was near, wildly threw his arms into the air 

 and precipitated himself from it. These actions so alarmed me for 

 his safety that I gave up the contest, and on doing so he evinced the 

 greatest satisfaction at his victory, uttering, for several minutes, the 

 most expressive grunts and cries ; in short, he exhibited on all oc- 

 casions where his will was opposed, the impatient temper of a spoilt 

 child ; but even in the height of passion I never observed any dispo- 

 sition to bite or otherwise ill treat his keeper or myself. 



"Although he would never object to be caressed or nursed by 

 even a stranger, yet I never saw him evince the slightest disposition 

 to make the acquaintance of any other animal. At the time he 

 came into my possession I had two Patas Monkeys, and thinking 

 they might become acquainted, I placed Mr. Bamboo in the same 

 apartment, where he resided for five months, yet I never saw the 

 least desire on his part to become even friendly ; on the contrary, he 

 showed evident anger and dislike at their approach. This strange 

 attachment to the human race and manifest dislike to all others, I 

 have always considered one of the most extraordinary features of 

 this genus. His cunning was also remarkable. On all occasions 

 where he thought he was unobserved, he would not fail to steal 

 everything within his reach, for no other apparent purpose than to 

 gratify a propensity for thieving : did he, however, even think you 

 were looking at him, he would wait his opportunity with the great- 

 est patience before he commenced depredations. In his habits, un- 

 like the monkey tribe, he was exceedingly cleanly, never soiling his 

 bed or any place near it ; and even on board ship (during the warm 

 weather) he never failed to seek the deck, unassisted, whenever the 

 calls of nature required it. On being left by himself in his piazza he 

 would invariably seat himself on the window-sill, which was the 

 highest point he could attain, and commanded a view of the barrack 

 yard as well as the interior of my bed-room ; but at sun-set he would 

 descend, enter a washing-tub, which he had of his own accord chosen 

 as a sleeping-place, and remain there all night : as soon, however, 

 as the sun rose, he would never fail to occupy his favourite position 

 on the window-ledge. From this I should say, that trees are as- 

 cended by the Chimpanzees merely for observation or food, and that 

 they live principal^ on the ground. Bamboo, at the time of pur- 

 chase, appeared to be about fourteen months old, and from what I 

 could learn from the natives, they do not reach their full growth till 

 between nine and ten years of age, which, if true, brings them ex- 

 tremely near the human species, as the boy or girl of West Africa, 

 Ann. Nat. Hist. Vol. 4. No. 23. Nov. 1839. q 



