106 APES AND MONKEYS 



is inquisitive, but not so imitative as monkeys are. He is 

 more observant of the relations of cause and effect. In 

 his actions he is controlled by more definite motives. He 

 is docile and quickly learns anything that lies within the 

 range of his own mental plane. 



The opinion has long prevailed that these apes subsist 

 upon a vegetable diet. That is a mistake. In this respect 

 their habits are much the same as those of man, except 

 that the latter has learned to cook, but the former eats his 

 food raw. Their natural tastes are greatly diversified, and 

 they are not all equally fond of the same articles of food, 

 Most of them are partial to the wild mango, which grows 

 in abundance in certain localities in the forest. This is 

 often available when other kinds of food are scarce. It 

 thus becomes, as it were, a staple article of food. There 

 are many kinds of nuts to be found in their domain, but 

 the nut of the oil palm is a great favorite. They some- 

 times eat the kola nut, but they are not partial to it. Sev- 

 eral kinds of small fruits and berries also form part of their 

 diet. They eat the stalks of some plants, the tender buds 

 of others, and the tendrils of certain vines. The names of 

 these vines I do not know. 



Most of the fruits and plants that are relished by them 

 are either acidulous or bitter in taste. They are not espe- 

 cially fond of sweet fruits. They prefer those having the 

 flavors mentioned. They eat bananas, pineapples, or other 

 sweet fruits, but rarely do so from choice. Most of them 

 appear to prefer a lime to an orange, a plantain to a banana, 

 a kola nut to a sweet mango. In captivity they acquire a 

 taste for sweet foods of all kinds. 



