104 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



restless, it would struggle about with its hands 

 up in the air trying to find something to take 

 hold of, and when it had got a bit of stick or 

 rag in two or three of its hands, seemed quite 

 happy. For want of something else, it would 

 often seize its own feet, and after a time it would 

 constantly cross its arms and grasp with each hand 

 the long hair that grew just below the opposite 

 shoulder. The great tenacity of its grasp soon 

 diminished, and I was obliged to invent some 

 means to give it exercise and strengthen its limbs. 

 For this purpose I made a short ladder of three 

 or four rounds, on which I put it to hang for a 

 quarter of an hour at a time. At first it seemed 

 much pleased, but it could not get all four hands 

 in a comfortable position, and, after changing about 

 several times, would leave hold of one hand after 

 the other and drop on to the floor. Sometimes 

 when hanging only by two hands, it would loose 

 one, and cross it to the opposite shoulder, grasping 

 its own hair ; and, as this seemed much more 

 agreeable than the stick, it would then loose the 

 other and tumble down, when it would cross both 

 and lie on its back quite contentedly, never seem- 

 ing to be hurt by its numerous tumbles. Finding 

 it so fond of hair, I endeavoured to make an 

 artificial mother, by wrapping up a piece of 



