THE CHIMPANZEE 3 



The Chimpanzees exhibited in zoological collections have almost 

 always been brought over as quite young animals; they are undeniably 

 delicate, but far less so than the other great apes, and I have recently 

 heard of a case in which one has been successfully kept all through the 

 winter in an outdoor house without artificial heat. 



What they undoubtedly require, when small at all events, is plenty 

 of petting and attention ; and they prove decidedly more " reasonable," 

 if the expression may be used, than Orangs or Gorillas, not even object- 

 ing to correction when they have deserved it which is pretty often the 

 case, as they are, as one might expect, full of mischief and often very 

 spiteful. When angry they strike with their hands and bite severely. 

 They have a great variety of notes and calls, one very usually heard 

 being a sort of repeated hoot uttered with protruding lips, and accom- 

 panied by frenzied dancing or jumping. In the wild state the uproar 

 they create is most annoying at times. 



Of course individuals vary a great deal in disposition and intelli- 

 gence ; Sally was a good example of a clever specimen, while Mickey, 

 an apparently dwarfed male, who is the senior Chimpanzee at the 

 Zoo at the time of writing, having been there for ten years, is a 

 kind, affectionate creature, good to smaller Chimpanzees, and tractable 

 with his keeper, besides having a fair share of brains. 



The most remarkable Chimpanzee I have seen, however, is one 

 which was recently for some months in the possession of the well- 

 known animal dealer, Mr. J. D. Hamlyn, who has made a specialty 

 of anthropoid apes. This animal, Peter by name, was kept tied up 

 in a living-room, but was often let out, and regularly had his meals 

 with the family; and I have often had the pleasure of sitting at table 

 with him. His behaviour was exactly that of a rather naughty child ; 

 his owners assured me that he understood all that was said to him, 

 and certainly his behaviour went far to bear out this statement. I 

 have seen him, on being told to do so, fetch whisky and soda and 

 pour out a "peg," bring his master's slippers and put them on, set 

 up a chair he had pulled over, and so forth, besides coming at call 

 and kissing. 



