IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. i 



by keeping the new animal in a box outside the cage of its future com- 

 panion, and observing their attitude towards each other. The most 

 successful plan for keeping hoolocks alive for any length of time, either 

 in a zoological garden or in a private collection, is to let them run about 

 freely in the open as often and for as long as possible. If, however, a 

 new arrival were to be allowed such liberty, there would be a great 

 risk of losing it : the best course is therefore to allow it to first acquire 

 some tameness, which can usually be done in about a fortnight or a 

 month, and then let it run about. After it has once become habituated 

 to the locality and food, it is sure to come back to the place and at the 

 hour of feeding. A hoolock is thus enabled not only to take plenty of 

 exercise, which its system much requires on account of its arboreal 

 habits, but the freedom gives it a chance of finding its own food, 

 such as the spiders and insects and eggs of small birds, which form no 

 inconsiderable portion of a gibbon's diet in a state of nature. 



A cage of the dimensions above given will accommodate two pairs 

 of hoolocks. To relieve the monotony of their captive life, a few play- 

 things should be provided, such as rope -swings, brass bells and wooden 

 balls. A thick bedding of straw on the floor of the cage gives warmth 

 during the winter, and greatly conduces to their amusement at all 

 times. 



Food. — An adult hoolock in captivity may be fed on boiled rice, 

 soaked gram, various kinds of fruits and roots, bread, biscuits, eggs, 

 and occasionally sparrows : a live sparrow given at intervals is much 

 relished. A few grasshoppers, say five to eight, should also be given 

 sometimes. 



The three following scales of diet will indicate the quantity of food 

 necessary for each hoolock per day and its cost per month : — 



(a) Loaf of bread ... 1 chittack \ 



Boiled rice with a pinch j twice daily. Cost 



of salt ... ... 2 chittacks 4 Re. 1-8 per month. 



1 (raw) 

 (b) Bfiouit ... 1 "J 



Soaked gram with a pinch I . • , ., « , 



of salt ... ^ ... 2 chittacks > twi p ce 9 daii ^ ° ost 



Plantains ... ... 2 I ^b. 2 per month. 



... 5 to 8 J 



(c) Plantains ... ... 2 ^ 



Sweet potatoes ... 2 chittacks f twice daily. Cost 



Milk ... ... 2 99 f Bs. 2 per month. 



Loaf of bread ... 1 chittack J 



Instead of plantains and sweet potatoes any other fruit or root may 



be substituted. Some of the hoolocks have been found to eat leaves 



with avidity. 



Clean drinking-water should always be kept in the cage. 



tt, ,. ,. ( Morning: between 8-30 and 9. 



Feeding time- j Evenin ~ ^ ^ ^ 4 



Breeding. — Hoolocks have never bred in this garden. 



Transport. — In transporting a hoolock the same precautions should 

 be observed as in the case of an orang. The cage, of course, need 

 not be so strong or large. 



