1 70 THE MONKE Y FAMIL Y. 



the trees, and making use of what are usually called its fore feet by 

 way of hands (and which, in fact, are hands), it will pass from 

 branch to branch with wonderful agility ; and when its hour of frolic 

 has gone by, the chimpanzee will rest on a branch, bolt-upright, no 

 part of its body coming in contact with the tree except the soles of 

 its hind feet, usually so called they being most admirably con- 

 structed to support it in this attitude. Thus placed, its abdomen, 

 of enormous dimensions considering the diminutive stature of the 

 animal, will be at rest, whilst the arms are folded on the breast, or 

 moved in playful gambols, or occupied in scratching the body, or in 

 conveying food to the mouth. Although the room in which this ape 

 was shown seemed small and very unaccommodating to a climbing 

 animal, still our young chimpanzee managed to thread its way up 

 and down the surrounding furniture; and on its reaching me, it 

 climbed up to my neck, where it found a comfortable resting-place. 

 When I had approached sufficiently near to the window, so that the 

 chimpanzee could profit by the movement, it would lay hold of the 

 projecting parts, and then pass onwards, looking for a ledge or shelf 

 to help it in its transit. But when we placed it on the floor again it 

 seemed distressed ; the countenance underwent a change ; and we 

 could not doubt of its discontentment Miss Blight, who is gover- 

 ness to this wild little woman of the woods, has given her the name 

 of Jenny, and has observed that her pet is very fond of celery, a 

 piece of which Miss Blight, in our presence, held out to her from 

 the opposite side of the room, first having cleared the floor for Jenny 

 to pass over. Bending forwards, in the attitude of an old woman 

 who uses two sticks in order to support her tottering frame, Jenny 

 moved slowly, and to all appearance painfully, across the floor, with 

 her hands clenched. On seizing the sprig of celery, she took a 

 sitting position with remarkable composure, and her hands being 

 now no longer in restraint, nor in an artificial posture on the floor, 

 she made use of them just as we ourselves would use our hands and 

 arms. Through the kindness of Mrs Wombwell, and the courtesy 

 of Miss Blight, I was enabled to pay four long visits to this harmless 

 and amusing young creature, lately kidnapped in the sunny regions 

 of Africa. When I looked at it, whilst it stayed on the floor, I was 

 perfectly satisfied, in my own mind, that it had never been formed 



