HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
A CHIMPANZEES "NEST." 
An interesting note upon a "nest" made by 
a chimpanzee at Belle Vue has been contributed 
by Mr. George Jennison to the proceedings of the 
Zoological Society of London/ "- Mr. Jennison 
writes: — "A female chimpanzee (Anthropopithe- 
cus calvus) was purchased for our collection in 
May, 1913. She was not, in fact is not yet, adult, 
but had good health, and was kept until May, 
1914, in a rather small cage, having access to 
the open air. She was then removed to our new 
Chimpanzee house, and installed in a large cage, 
through the middle of which there is a beam about 
three inches wide- Early in August it was noticed 
that she took a small supply of hay, or would 
even fray out a rope and lay it carefully along* the 
beam and there lie. We therefore nailed a rough 
branch horizontally from the beam to the wall, so 
enclosing a space of about three feet, and another 
cross-branch to make a very roug-h base, and 
provided a supply of hay, straw, and leafed twigs 
which were thrown on the floor ten feet below. 
Next morning the nest was partly made. Careful 
watching by Mr. W. Antcliffe, the keeper, showed 
that she carried up at first one or two straws, and 
then proceeded to gather a bundle of twigs, which 
she tucked between one leg and thigh, dragging 
herself to her nest by her arms and the other leg. 
The twigs were carefully arranged with the 
leaves to the centre of the nest, and she also 
gathered up one of her swingigng ropes, laying it 
in short parallel lines on the twigs. Mindful of 
Du Chaillu ("Exploration in Equatorial Africa"), 
we nailed suitable branches over the nest as a 
basis for a roof, but no- attempt has been made to 
utilise them to form a shelter, as, of course, there 
is no rain in the house. The animal spends most 
of her time in the nest, and carries all her food 
there, even a glass of tea, which is taken up, like 
the nesting material, in the hollow of the thigh. 
From time to time the nest is either thrown out or 
falls through, and is reconstructed with fresh 
material. Having succeeded so well with this 
animal, similar facilities were given to three 
females (A. troglodytes) in the adjoining cage, but 
no attempt was made to use them. Nevertheless, 
although they usually sleep on the floor-level, they 
will carrv a sack into their trees and sleep upon 
it. A. calvus, the "nest" builder, will also take 
up a sack and sleep on it." 
It may be mentioned that two tine pairs of 
elands (the largest African antelopes) have recently 
been added to the collection at the Gardens from 
the famous herd of the Duke of Bedford. Another 
addition is the brown bear, which by an order of 
the court was taken from a travelling Serbian 
showman last week. Mr. Jennison tells us it was 
a weary object on arrival, but in three days became 
chirpy as a cricket. 
THE EUROPEAN BISON. 
By Walter Winans. 
In answer to your letter of to-day's date, I 
give below further particulars about the Aurochs. 
The Aurochs are the original wild cattle found 
all over Europe, and which Julius Caesar mentions 
as being found in Gaul. 
In the Sachsen-Wald, Friderichs-Ruh, near 
Hamburg, the property of the Bismarck family, 
where I have shot many wild boar, a thousand 
years ago Aurochs were hunted by Charlemagne. 
They are now extinct except at Pilawin, in 
Poland, and in one or two of the Emperor of Rus- 
sia's private shooting- estates. I should not think 
there are more than 60 all told in. the world; the 
one I shot had to be killed, as he was killing off 
the young Aurochs bulls. 
They are very near relations to the American 
Bison and cross freely, but the Aurochs are the 
more savage animal and grows larger; the one I 
shot stood 6 feet 5/8 inches at the withers, girth 
9 feet 7/8 of an inch, 15| inches between the eyes, 
11 feet 1/8 inches long including- tail. 
Through the kindness of Count Joseph Patot- 
ski, I was able to shoot the record Aurochs head 
in 1913. 
The dimensions were as follows : — 
Distance between tips of horns, 21 1/8 inches. 
Length along outside curve of horn, 21J inches. 
Widest between horns, 24 3/16 inches. 
Weight, 2,001 pounds. 
The Count had a cairn of stones erected on 
the spot where the Aurochs fell, and a bronze cast 
of the skull and horns on top with an inscription. 
This head is a shade better than the former 
record head, in the South Kensington Natural 
History Museum, which was shot by His late 
Majesty, the Emperor Alexander III. 
Count Patotski, besides the herd of Aurochs, 
had some American Buffalo, but the Aurochs I 
shot had killed the bulls of that herd. 
This herd of Aurochs is the only one in exist- 
ence besides that preserved on the Imperial estates 
of Russia. 
I am very much afraid the fighting near War- 
saw has done damage to the Count's preserves; 
if so, the finest shooting- estate, in the world has 
been destroyed, as he had also herds of Wapiti, 
Elk, and many species of deer at Pilawin. 
I have shot American Buffalo also, and the 
difference I noticed between them and the Aurochs 
may be of interest. 
To begin with, the smell is quite different; 
Buffalo smell like cattle, but the Aurochs have a 
peculiar Oriental smell rather like when incense 
is burnt; I have never smelt such a peculiar smell 
in any animal. 
