599.8 250 



III. 



An Introduction to the Study of Anthropoid 

 - Apes— II. The Chimpanzee. 



The Chimpanzee in Europe. — However desirable, it is almost 

 impossible to give an approximately accurate statement of the amount 

 of material, the live animals studied in confinement, the skeletons and 

 carcases studied in museums and dissecting rooms, upon which is 

 based our knowledge of the chimpanzee species. There is to be found 

 in literature the description of parts belonging to over two hundred 

 chimpanzees, but of that great number the anatomy of only one animal 

 has been described with an approximation to completeness, that of 

 Gratiolet (131 j, and even it lacks much. Small parts of many speci- 

 mens have been studied and recorded with great accuracy, and by 

 piecing these together one may obtain a rough mental picture of the 

 structure of the species. The partial character of our knowledge results 

 not from lack of material, but rather from its abundance. In the Gardens 

 of the Zoological Society of London alone, during the last fifty years,, 

 there have been about fifty chimpanzees, and that number probably only 

 represents about one-third of the live visitors to Europe. The 

 chimpanzee, if its health could stand it, would take v^ry kindly to 

 confinement, for, when young at any rate, it is of a lively, playful, and 

 contented disposition. As a rule, it does not keep its health in 

 confinement in Europe. Of eight chimpanzees that came to the 

 Gardens at Rotterdam, four lived between 1-27 days, four between 

 100-380 days. In the Gardens at London it appears to fare better, 

 Sally, for instance, living eight years. Although a few instances 

 might be collected of animals that have passed from three to five 

 years in confinement, I do not think that, on an average, one could 

 insure the chimpanzee for a six months of life in Europe. Of 

 the animals in confinement, males and females occur in about equal 

 numbers, but adults are unknown. 



The Nervous System. — There are partial records of forty-eight 

 chimpanzee brains, but, almost without exception, they deal with the 

 surface anatomy only. A great deal of the work on this part of the 

 subject is very excellent. Of treatises dealing with the fissures of the 

 brain, Cunningham's best repays consultation (115, 116), and Riidin- 

 ger's (188) is of great worth. Very good descriptions and figures are 

 given by Giacomini (130), Moeller (165), Beddard (93), Benham (94), 

 Chapman (m), Dwight (123), Embleton (126), Barkow (90), Marshall. 



