74 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



pupil's mental capabilities. Some chimpanzees are too nervous 

 to be taught, some are too obstinate, and others are too im- 

 patient of restraint. Some orang-utans are hopelessly indif- 

 ferent to the business in hand, and refuse to become inter- 

 ested in it. I think that no orang is too dull to learn to sit at 

 a table, and eat with the utensils that are usually considered 

 sacred to man's use, but the majority of them care only for 

 the food, and take no interest in the function. On the other 

 hand, the average chimpanzee is as restless as a newly-caught 

 eel, and its mind is dominated by a desire to climb far beyond 

 the reach of restraining hands, and to do almost anything save 

 that which is particularly desired. 



Among the twenty or more orangs which up to 1922 have 

 been exhibited in the Zoological Park, two stand out with special 

 prominence, by reason of their unusual mental qualities. They 

 differed widely from each other. One was a born actor and 

 imitator, who loved human partnership in his daily affairs. 

 The other was an original thinker and reasoner, with a genius 

 for invention, and at all times impatient of training and re- 

 straint. The first was named Rajah, the latter was called 

 Dohong. 



Rajah was a male orang, and about four years of age when 

 received by us. His high and broad forehead, large eyes and 

 general breadth of cranium and jaw marked him at once as 

 belonging to the higher caste of orangs. Dealers and experts 

 have no difficulty in recognizing at one glance an orang that 

 has a good brain and good general physique from those which 

 are thin-headed, narrow-jawed, weak in body and unlikely to 

 live long. 



At the Zoological Park we have tested out the orang-utan's 

 susceptibility to training, and proven that the task is so simple 

 and easy that even amateurs can accomplish much in a short 

 time. Desiring that several of our orangs should perform in 

 public, we instructed the primate keepers to proceed along 

 certain lines and educate them to that idea. Naturally, the 

 performance was laid out to match our own possibilities. 



