The Chimpanzee. 175 



earth. His skin is clothed with long coarse black or 

 dark-brown hair, which becomes scanty on the lower 

 surface of the body and on the limbs ; the face is naked 

 and of a flesh colour, and at each side there hangs down 

 a great bush of long hair like a whisker. The Chim- 

 panzee lives in the trees, upon the branches of which he 

 is very active, and he has intelligence enough to build 

 himself a sort of hut of branches, usually about thirty or 

 forty feet from the ground. His food consists chiefly of 

 fruits, and he is said to fly from the presence of man. 



Young Chimpanzees have frequently been brought to 

 this and other European countries, and several of them 

 have been exhibited in our Zoological Gardens. They 

 are generally gentle and rather melancholy in their 

 deportment, and often show much affection for those 

 who have the charge of them. Of a specimen exhibited 

 in France in his time, Buffon gives the following interest- 

 ing account : " T have seen this animal," he says, " present 

 its hand to lead out its visitors, or walk about with them 

 gravely as if it belonged to the company. I have seen it 

 seat itself at table, unfold its napkin and wipe its lips, 

 use its spoon and fork to carry its food to its mouth, pour 

 its drink into a glass, and touch glasses when invited ; 

 fetch a cup and saucer to the table, put in sugar, pour 

 out its tea, and leave it to cool before drinking it ; and all 

 this without any other instigation than the signs and 

 words of its master, and often of its own accord." Buffon 

 adds that it had a taste which, no doubt, some of our 

 young readers partake : "It was excessively fond of 

 sugar-plums." 





