14 THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



allowed to have his own way; if his will was opposed, he would 

 throw himself into the most violent passion. But although he 

 would scream, and dash his head against the wall until he 

 obtained what he wanted, he never attempted to bite. 



The natives of Central Africa give remarkable accounts of the 

 strength of the chimpanzee. They have seen these apes strip off 

 boughs with the greatest ease, which the united strength of two 

 men could scarcely bend. 



The chimpanzee lives in small family groups, but will occasion- 

 ally invade in a larger body unprotected cultivated fruit areas. 

 It is exceedingly watchful, and the first one that discovers the 

 approach of a stranger warns the others by uttering a mournful 

 cry, like that of a human being in distress. 



The home of the chimpanzee is Central and West tropical 

 Africa. That it builds a sort of nest high up in trees seems to 

 be established; but it does not, as has been asserted, erect roofs 

 to keep the rain off. Though well able to defend itself when 

 at bay, it does not readily attack man. It is tractable and 

 intelligent in captivity, feeding itself with a spoon or drinking 

 from a cup or glass, and has even been taught to count up to 

 five well, and up to ten more uncertainly. 



THE ORANG-UTAN 



The Orang-utan is the third of the great man-like apes. He 

 is not, however, an inhabitant of Central or Western tropical 

 Africa, but his native home is limited to the islands of Sumatra 

 and Borneo in the Malay Archipelago and in the same tropical 

 zone as his African cousins. 



The Orang-utan (which is a Malay word meaning " Man of the 

 Woods") is really the historical ape of that designation. Under 

 that name he was known to the naturalist Linnjeus as far back 

 as 1766. In 1776, William, Prince of Orange, had one in his 

 private menagerie. But for long this and the two apes of which 

 we have treated were greatly confused and mi.xed up together, 

 both in scientific and popular opinion. Now, however, the three 



