48 Animal Life 
southern dominions of Abyssinia had stories or legends which appeared to refer to the 
chimpanzee. As we now know that the chimpanzee existed ages ago in north-western 
India, it is probable that this ape originated in that part of Asia and thence spread, 
together with the closely allied gorilla, mght across the once well-forested Arabia 
into Equatorial Africa. The gorilla indeed may have diverged from the chimpanzee 
after this older form of ape reached the African forests in flight before its successful 
rival, man. 
At the present day natives and Europeans frequently report seeing chimpanzees and 
gorillas in close proximity, and it has been pointed out by zoologists that several supposed 
distinct species of chimpanzee may be really hybrids between that animal and the gorilla. 
It is, in fact, almost certain that a union between these two apes would be fertile and 
result in a hybrid. The Old World monkeys are so fundamentally akin in structure that 
hybridization may take place between genera apparently very diverse in outward form. 
It is probably well known to my readers that several cases have occurred in the Zoological 
Gardens of Mandrill baboons breeding with Rhesus monkeys from India, and the hybrids 
thus obtaimed breeding again with Cercocebus monkeys. Chimpanzees and gorillas are said 
to attack women, but I think it is mainly with the idea of making them throw down 
their loads of food, which are Sal ee ee then seized and carried off. 
Any woman dragged by a ' male ape to the forest would 
soon be killed by the feminine apes of the neighbourhood. 
Female baboons and chim- panzees are inordinately 
jealous of women. Apes ave particularly spiteful and 
contemptuous towards children. Indeed it is not 
safe to trust a full-grown baboon or a half-grown ape 
near young children. They will tear off their clothes, 
scratch them, make hideous mouths at them, tweak their 
noses, and lug them about by the legs. Yet their demeanour 
towards persons of riper age will be affectionate and sub- 
missive. I. remember travelling home from West 
Africa once with a celebrated chimpanzee of many accom- 
plishments, which, until we reached Madeira, travelled as 
and was treated like a first- class passenger, behaving in 
his freedom. with absolute decorum. When the vessel 
reached -Madeira a number of passengers came on board, 
amongst others being a very young baby. This was some- 
times placed by its mother in a cradle on the upper 
deck. One day while we were all at lunch the chim- 
panzee (who -had - become very jealous of the attention 
shown to this infant) dis- appeared. I followed it from 
the ‘luncheon table to see what it was going to do, 
and arrived just in time to prevent it from throwing the 
baby overboard. It had pulled the poor little child from its 
cradle (fortunately without serious hurt), and would 
certainly have hurled it into the sea if my arrival had not 
caused the guilty ape to drop the child on the deck and 
os ' 
From a Pho 
: 4 J SILVERY GIBBON. z : 
shamble away. — After this rhe Gipbon walks erect with absolute ease. proceeding it spent the rest 
ec vet This ce t be said of the other living g 4 
of its journey as a deck names. passenger in a cage. 
[The next article in this series will deal with the large Cats.] 
