THE CHIMPANZEE 33 



cannot be taught to distinguish any of the others, I conclude that her failure in this 

 respect is not due to any want of intelligence, but to some deficiency in her powers 

 of color perception. ' ' 



We must conclude our notice of chimpanzees by the mention of 



a very remarkable ape which was brought from the Loango Coast in 

 1875, and exhibited in the Zoological Gardens at Dresden. This animal was a 

 female, and from its peculiar physiognomy, as shown in our two figures of its head, 

 has given rise to much discussion as to what species it really belonged. The 

 creature was of a fierce disposition, and was generally known by the name of 

 Mafuka. Although presenting many of the features of a chimpanzee, it had very 

 projecting jaws, the ears were relatively small and placed rather high on the head, 

 while the end of the nose was wide and expanded. The most remarkable feature 

 about this animal was, however, the presence of a great bony ridge overhanging the 

 eyes, very much as in the female gorilla. So like, indeed, was Mafuka to a gorilla 

 in this respect, that Dr. Hartmann tells us when he first saw her he felt almost con- 

 vinced that he had to do with a female gorilla which had not quite attained maturity. 

 This opinion was, however, vigorously confuted by other zoologists ; and it was sub- 

 sequently suggested that the creature might be .a half-breed between the chimpanzee 

 and gorilla. Dr. Hartmann concludes by saying that ' ' for me and many other 

 naturalists Mafuka remains up to this time an enigma." Unless, which is very 

 improbable, this animal indicates a third species of chimpanzee, we confess that 

 the half-breed theory appears to us the most probable solution of the mystery. 



A word in regard to a fossil-ape found in the northwest of India in 

 l " rocks, belonging to the Pliocene or later division of the Tertiary 



period, and we have done with chimpanzees. It has always been a 

 matter of surprise that no large Man-like Ape now inhabits the dense tropical 

 forests of India or Burma, which would appear to be just as suitable for these 

 creatures as are those of Borneo or Equatorial Africa. The discovery in India of a 

 jaw of a large ape apparently belonging to the same genus as the chimpanzee shows 

 us, however, that large Man-like Apes must have once roamed over the plains of 

 India. Why chimpanzees, together with hippopotami and giraffes, which are like- 

 wise found fossil in India but are now confined to Africa, should have totally dis- 

 appeared from the former country, is, however, one of those puzzling problems 

 connected with the distribution of animals which we have but little hope of an- 

 swering satisfactorily. 



The fossil Indian chimpanzee was found in the arid districts of the Punjab, 

 and since we know that the living Man-like Apes dwell in the deepest gloom and 

 solitude of primeval forests, where vegetation grows luxuriously and offers a 

 constant supply of fruits throughout the year, we may probably infer that the 

 Indian chimpanzee inhabited a similar forest-clad country ; and that, consequently, 

 the present area of the Punjab was in parts at all events clothed with forests in 

 which dwelt this ape, instead of being, as now, a sun-scorched and somewhat 

 desolate region. Evidence of the former existence of these forests is afforded by 

 the occurrence of numbers of fossil tree-stems in various parts of the same series of 

 rocks from which the remains of the fossil chimpanzee were obtained. 

 3 



