286 ANIMALS OF THE 



life. It continued at Paris but one summer, and 

 died in London. It ate indiscriminately of all 

 things, but it preferred dry and ripe fruits to all 

 other aliments. It would drink wine, but in 

 small quantities, and gladly left it for milk, tea, 

 or any other sweet liquor. 



Such these animals appeared when brought in- 

 to Europe. However, many of their extraordi- 

 nary habits were probably the result of education, 

 and we are not told how long the instructions 

 they received for this purpose were continued. 

 But we learn from another account, that they 

 take but a very short time to come to a great 

 degree of imitative perfection. M. Le Brosse 

 bought two young ones, that were but a year 

 old, from a Negro ; and these at that early age 

 discovered an astonishing power of imitation.* 

 They even then sat at the table like men, ate of 

 every thing without distinction, made use of their 

 knife, spoon, and fork, both to eat their meat and 

 help themselves. They drank wine and other 

 liquors. When carried on ship-board, they had 

 signs for the cabin boys expressive of their 

 wants ; and whenever these neglected attending 

 upon them as they desired, they instantly flew 

 into a passion, seized them by the arm, bit them, 

 and kept them down. The male was sea-sick, 

 and required attendance like a human creature ; 

 he was even twice bled in the arm ; and every 

 time afterwards, when he found himself out of 



* As quoted by BufFon, vol. xxviii. p. 77. 



