36 "!"HE APE. 



The dispositions of many of the species are so wild 

 and unmanageable, that it is with difficulty they can 

 be brought into a state of domestication. Others are 

 indeed of a milder nature, and exhibit some degree 

 of attachment to those who are kind to them, but 

 nearly the whole tribe are indowed with mischievous 

 propensities. They are also in general filthy, obscene, 

 and thievish *. 



All the species, except one, (the Barbary Ape,) 

 are confined to the climates of the Torrid Zone, 

 where for the most part they live on vegetable food ; 

 and although our books on Natural History enume- 

 rate about sixfy species, we are given to understand 

 that these are but a small portion of the numbers that 

 have even been seen about the forests of hot climates. 

 Bosman says he saw an immense number of different 

 kinds on the coast of Africa -}-, and Condamine tells 

 us, that it would occupy a volume to describe accu-. 

 rately only the specific characters of those to be found 

 along the banks of the river Amazons. The fo- 

 rests of Africa, India, China, Japan, and South 

 America swarm with them J. 



Several of this tribe have pouches in their cheeks, 

 in which they macerate their food for some time be* 

 fore they chew and swallow it. They are fond of 

 hunting after Fleas, both in their own fur, and in 

 that of their companions. Few animals have a more 

 delicate sense of feeling, or are agitated by more 

 violent passions. Most of them are gregarious, as- 

 sociating in vast companies, and leaping with great 



* Kerr 1. i>[.—f Bos man, 242 J Buflbu's Quad. 



