THE APES AND MONKEYS. 



■Social Life The social 

 of life of the 

 Apes. Apes is a 

 very attractive one for 

 •every observer. There 

 are but few kinds which 

 live singly; the majority 

 prefer to live in small 

 troops or bands. Each 

 of these latter selects a 

 permanent home of 

 greater or less extent. 

 The choice as a rule 

 falls on a country that 

 seems favorable in all 

 respects. There must 

 'be something to eat, or 

 ■else they emigrate. In 

 a poor country, forests 

 near human dwellings 

 ■seem to be regarded as 

 paradisaical ; the for- 

 bidden tree does not 

 trouble the Ape's con- 

 science, so long as the 

 apples on it are tooth- 

 some. Plantations o f 

 sweet corn and sugar- 

 cane, fields of onions, 

 ■orchards and banana 

 trees are preferable to 

 anything else ; villages 

 also are liked, where 

 anybody chastising the 

 robbers has to dread the 

 superstition of the in- 

 habitants. As soon as 

 the band has come to a 

 •conclusion about a place 

 ■of habitation, the real 

 life of the Monkeys be- 

 gins, with all its joys and 

 sorrows, its quarrels and 

 its cares. The oldest 

 and strongest male is 

 made the chief , this 

 •dignity is not conferred 

 by universal suffrage, 

 "but by long and hard 

 fights with the other 

 aspirants, that is, with 

 all the old males. The 

 longest teeth and the 

 strongest arm prevail. 

 Whoever does not sub- 

 ject himself good-nat- 

 uredly, is brought to his 

 senses by a few cuffs, 

 bites and scratches, and 

 •the crown is to the 

 strong ; in his teeth is 

 wisdom. 



The language of Apes is by no means a poor one, 

 for each Ape has the most varied sounds for his dif- 

 fering emotions. Man soon learns to recognize the 

 significance of these sounds. 



The cry of terror, which also includes an invitation 

 ■to flee, is especially expressive ; it is hard to de- 

 scribe, and still harder to imitate ; one can only say 

 that it consists of a succession of short, vibrating 

 and inharmonious gurgling sounds, whose meaning 



A FAMILY OF GORILLAS. This picture represents a famil-y ot Gorillas, the month or two old baby 



in the foreground, at the ieet of its watchful mother, while the ever-alert father is keeping: guard from a perch of 

 strong vines. The mother's face is placid, because she knows the father's ear is never closed and that his mighty arm 

 will protect her and the helpless little one, whose dreamy face expresses entire satisfaction. It is a most graphic and 

 faithful delineation of a hte-like scene in the great hot forest in Equatorial Africa, and portrays in pleasing measure 

 the home life of these creatures so greatly resembling Man. Fierce and intractable as is the Gorilla, he is kind to his 

 wife and children, protecting them from all enemies and careful in providing for their comforts. {Gorilla gini.) 



the Monkey makes still clearer by grimaces. As 



soon as this note of alarm is sounded, the whole 



band starts to flee ; the mothers call their children, 



and holding them fast, hurry on to the next tree or 



rock. It is only when the chief recovers his spirits 



that the band gathers again and returns. 



Courage and The Apes undeniably have courage. 



Fighting The stronger ones boldly resist the ter- 



Qualities. rible beasts of prey and Man, and are 



