NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 65 



small volume it is possible to notice only the most im- 

 portant forms. 



The Gorilla, (Gorilla savagei), of equatorial West Africa, 

 is the largest and ugliest of the great apes, walks erect, and 

 ]n form of body and limbs it most resembles man. Its 

 bram, however, is less man-like than that of the chimpanzee 

 and orang-utan. It is very rarely seen in captivity. The 

 only specimen which up to 1901 had reached America alive 

 lived but five days after its arrival. Despite the fact that 

 these creatures seldom live in captivity longer than a few 

 months, they are always being sought by zoological gardens. 

 The agents of the New York Zoological Society are con- 

 stantly on the watch for an opportunity to procure and send 

 hither a good specim.en of this wonderful creature; and 

 whenever one arrives, all persons interested are advised to 

 see it immediately,— heiore it dies of sullenness, lack of 

 exercise, and indigestion. 



The Orang-Utan is intellectually superior to the gorilla, 

 and is equalled only by the chimpanzee. Unfortunately, as 

 a rule, none of the great apes is long-lived in captivity, 

 and in zoological gardens they come and go. For this rea- 

 son, it is seldom that an adult specimen, 4 feet in height, 

 and weighing 150 pounds, is seen in captivity. Amongst 

 other apes, the Orang-Utan is readily recognized by its 

 hroivn skin, red hair and small cars. 



In disposition this creature is naturally docile and affec- 

 tionate. It is fond of the society of human beings, takes 

 to training with wonderful readiness and success, and young 

 specimens can easily be taught to wear clothes, sit at table, 

 and eat with spoon and fork. In the summer of 1901, the 

 daily open-air exhibition of "Rajah" dining at 4 o'clock 

 on an elevated platform in front of the Reptile House, will 

 long be remembered hy the crowds of visitors who saw him. 

 Such exhibitions are entirely germane to the educational 

 purposes of a zoological garden or park, for they illustrate 

 the mentalit.y of animals, and their wonderful likeness to 

 man, far more forcibly than the best printed statements. 



The north hall of the Primate House is specially in- 

 tended for the anthropoid apes, and it is not likely that any 

 lengthy periods will elapse during which it contains neither 

 orang-utans nor chimpanzees. 



The Chimpanzee, iAnfhrofopithccus eah'us). of equatorial 

 Africa from the west coast to the central lake region, is 

 quite as common in captivity as the orang-utan. Both 

 structurally and mentally this animal is verj^ much like the 



