SIMIADJL. 379 



devotedly fond of their young, which they nurse with tender assiduity ; 

 and that the adult males protect the females and their offspring with 

 great resolution. It is, perhaps, when the females have retired to bring 

 forth young, or when they are engaged with their newly-born progeny, 

 that the males, guarding the precincts of their habitations (which are 

 reported to be left, at this season, entirely to the females), have attacked 

 persons unwarily venturing within their territorial limits. After all, it 

 is with the disposition and manners of the young only that we can pre- 

 tend to have a tolerable acquaintance. From the time of Tyson to the 

 present day,* six of these animals (including the one which he dissected, 

 in 1698) have been imported into England ; and it is from these, princi- 

 pally (not omitting the individual seen by Buffon, in Paris), that our 

 knowledge has been derived. 



The first living Chimpanzee known to have been brought into this 

 country, namely, that dissected by Tyson, was a young male, brought 

 from Angola, in 1698. He is described by Dr. Tyson as having com- 

 pletely assumed the erect attitude ; but, from various passages in the 

 account, it is evident that he often went on all fours.f He alleges that 

 it had calves on its legs, though " not large, being much emaciated ;" 

 the delineation, however, not only contradicts this statement, but displays 

 the lower limbs much bent; the animal, in one plate (fig. 261), supporting 

 himself by a rope ; and, in the other (fig. 262), resting on a staff; for, 

 " being weak," says Tyson, " the better to support him, I have given him 

 a stick in his right-hand." 



The second specimen, of uncertain locality, was exhibited in 1738. In 

 reference to this individual, Shaw (Mammalia, vol. i.) notices the mildness 

 and docility of the " Oran-otan," and its aptitude for learning a " variety 

 of actions in domestic life." Thus, he adds, " it has been seen to sit at 

 table, and, in its manner of feeding and general behaviour, imitate the 

 company in which it was placed ; to pour out tea, and drink it without 

 awkwardness or constraint ; to prepare its bed with great exactness, and 



* Since writing the above, other young specimens have been imported. 



t " The fierceness of the Cynocephali is taken notice of by all : our Pygmie was quite of another 

 temper the most gentle and loving creature that could be. Those that he knew on ship-board he 

 would come and embrace with the greatest tenderness, opening their bosoms and clasping his hands 

 about them ; and, as I was informed, though there were Monkeys aboard, yet 'twas observed he would 

 never associate with them; and, as if nothing akin to them, would always avoid their company," (p. 7.) 

 " After our Pygmie was taken, and a little used to wear clothes, it was fond enough of them ; and what 

 it could not put on himself, it would bring in its hands to some of the company to help him to put on. 

 It would lie in a bed, place his head on the pillow, and pull the clothes over him, as a Man would do 

 but was so careless, and so very a brute, as to do all nature's occasions there," (p. 8.) " I was told by 

 the owners, that once it held the bason itself to be trimmed." " As it uses its hinder feet, upon any oc- 

 casion, as hands, so, likewise, I observed, in our Pygmie, that it would make use of its hands to supply 

 the place of feet. But when it went as a Quadruped, on all fours, 'twas awkwardly, not placing the 

 palm of the hands flat to the ground, but it walked on its knuckles, as I observed it to do, when weak, 

 and had not strength enough to support its body." Tys. Anat. Pyg. p. 13. 



