18 



QLiAiir.t-isiANA. 3IA3IMALIA. Simiad.e. 



Troglodytes by Bluracubach ; and JI. Geoflroy Saint- 

 Hilaire regarded it as the type of the distinct genus 

 Trofflodytes, in which he has been followed by most 

 subsequent zoologists. The anatomical structure of the 

 chimpanzee was well described as long ago as the year 

 1099, liy an English anatomist, Tyson, in his "Anatomy 

 uf a Pigmy," where he enters into a detailed exposition 

 of the characters in which this animal resembles and 

 differs from man. 



The individuals wliich have been brought alive 

 to Europe and exhibited in our menageries, have all 

 been young animals, usually about two years old, 

 and between two and three feet in height ; they can, 

 consequently, give us but little idea of the habits and 

 disposition of the adult chimpanzee. They have all 

 exhibited a striking amount of intelligence, and a gen- 

 tleness and docilitj' such as we hardly associate with 

 the idea of a monkey. The individual observed by 

 Tyson in 1 C99, is described by him as a gentle, affec- 

 tionate, and harmless creature, which became much 

 attached to the sailors on board the ship in which it 

 was brought to England, embracing them with the 

 greatest tenderness, opeuing the breasts of their shirts, 

 and clasping its arms around them. It showed a gi'eat 

 aversion to some small monkeys which were brought 

 home in the same ship, keeping at a distance from them, 

 as if it considered itself a being of a superior order. It 

 became fond of wearing clothes, would dress itself 

 partly, and apply for assistance in any difHculty to some 

 uf the crew or passengers. 



The celebrated French naturalist, Biiflbn, has given 

 the following interesting account of the chimpanzee 

 observed by him, which he calls the Jbc/io, but confounds 

 with the orang-outan. lie says — " Its air was melan- 

 cholj', its deportment grave, its movements measured, 

 its disposition gentle, and very different from that of 

 the other monkeys; it had none of the impatience of 

 the magot (Barbary ape), the ferocity of the baboon, 

 or the extravagance of the monkeys. It may be said 

 that it had been well taught ; but the others had also 

 received their education ; a sign or a word was sufli- 

 eient for our orang-outan ; whilst the baboon required 

 the stick, and the others the whip, as they only obeyed 

 under the fear of chastisement. I have seen this ani- 

 mal present its hand to lead out its visitors, or walk 

 about with them gravely as if it belonged to the com- 

 pany. I have seen it seat itself at table, unfold its 

 napkin and wipe its lips, use its spoon and fork to carry 

 its food to its mouth, pour its drink into a glass, and 

 touch glasses when invited ; fetch a cup and saucer to 

 the table, put in sugar, pour out its tea and leave it to 

 cool before drinking it ; and all this without any other 

 instigation than the signs or words of its master, and 

 often of its own accord. It was perfectly harmless ; it 

 even approached one with a certain respect, and pre- 

 sented itself as if to ask for caresses. It was excessively 

 fond of sugar-plums, . . . but ate almost anything, 

 although it preferred ripe and dry fruit to all other ali- 

 ments ; it drank wine, but in small quantity, and left 

 it willingly for milk, tea, or other mild beverages." 



This description is interesting, as showing the amount 

 of education of which the chimpanzee is susceptible ; 

 but, perhaps, the most striking example of the intelli- 



gence of this ape is recorded by the French traveller, 

 De la Brosse, whose " Voyage to Angola" has been 

 already referred to. One of two young chimpanzees 

 purchased by this traveller, was taken ill on board ship. 

 " He gave himself all the airs, and demanded the same 

 care as a human being ; he was even bled twice in the 

 right arm ; and afterwards, whenever he felt indisposed, 

 he would hold out his arm to be bled, as if conscious 

 that it had done him good." 



Subsequent observations of other specimens in con- 

 finement have not only confirmed the idea of the great 

 intelligence and gentleness of the chimpanzee conveyed 

 by the preceding extracts, but have also thrown more 

 light upon the natural habits of the species, and enabled 

 recent zoologi.st3 to correct some errors into which 

 their predecessors had fallen. Thus Buffon, writing 

 from recollection, states that his Jocko '■ always walked 

 upriglit on its hind feet, even when carrj'ing heavy 

 loads." The individuals since observed have shown 

 that if this was the case, it must have been a result of 

 education. The chimpanzee, certain!)', appears to have 

 a greater power of sustaining itself in a nearly erect 

 posture than the other apes ; but in its natural mode 

 of progression it exactly resembles the latter, its body 

 being inclined forward in walking, and supported upon 

 the anterior limbs, of which the knuckles are applied 

 to the ground. 



THE GORILLA (Troglodytes Gorilla), Flate 1, fig. 1. 

 — We have alread}', in treating of the chimpanzee, 

 indicated that, from the narratives of the older travel- 

 lers there has always been reason to believe that two 

 large species of apes lived on the west coast of 

 Africa. The curious recital of Hanno, already quoted 

 (see page 17), may indeed apply to either species ; but 

 as early as the close of the sixteenth century, we have 

 seen that Andrew Battel clearly indicates " two kinds 

 of monsters" as inhabiting the woods of Angola : one 

 of these is the chimpanzee; the other, he sa\'s, "is 

 called Pongo in their language." Of the latter he 

 states, that " the pongo is in all his proportions like a 

 man (except the legs, which have no calves), but he is 

 of gigantic height. The face, hands, and ears of these 

 animals are without hair ; their bodies are covered, 

 but not very thickly, with hair of a dunnish colour. 

 When they walk on the ground, it is upright, with the 

 hands on the nape of the neck. They sleep on trees, 

 and make a covering to shelter them from the rain. 

 They eat no flesh, but feed on nuts and other fruit; 

 nor have they any understanding beyond instinct. 

 When the people of the country travel through the 

 woods they make fires in the night, and in the morn- 

 ing when they are gone the pongos will come and sit 

 round it till it goes out; for they do not possess sagacity 

 enough to lay on more wood. They go in bodies, and 

 kill many Negroes who travel in the woods. When 

 elephants happen to come and feed where they are, 

 they will Aill on them, and so beat them W'ith their 

 clubbed fists and sticks, that they are forced to run 

 away roaring. The grown pongos are never taken 

 alive, owing to their strength, which is so great that ten 

 men cannot hold one of them. The J'oung hang upon 

 their mother's belly, with their hands clasped about 

 her. Many of them are taken by shooting the mothers 



