202 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



serting it in his mouth. It was then introduced almost 

 up to the bowl, but with that part generally down- 

 wards, and it was retained without any appear- 

 ance of smoke for some minutes, during which time 

 the animal completely filled his cheek-pouches and 

 capacious mouth, and would then exhale a volume, 

 filling his cage from mouth, nose, and sometimes even 

 the ears. He generally finished with gin and water, 

 which was handed to him in a goblet ; this he grasped 

 in one hand, and was not long in discussing. 



He was possessed of enormous strength. Two men 

 couid with difficulty -withdraw the end of a rope he 

 one day seized, though they were assisted by the re- 

 sistance of their feet upon the base of his cage. 



He was fed chiefly on vegetables, and preferred 

 them cooked ; but when he visited Windsor, where 

 he was exhibited to his late Majesty, he is said to 

 have dined upon hashed venison with no ordinary 

 degree of avidity. 



The only other animal belonging to this group which 

 we shall mention, is one which was long involved in 

 obscurity, and whose young state was frequently 

 confounded with that we have now described ; it 13, 



