NEWS BULLETIN OF- THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



BABY OCR ILL A. 



TWO LITTLE APES. 



Of all the living creatures that ever find their way into 

 zoological gardens, none, it is safe to say, surpass in interest 

 the strangely man-like anthropoid apes. Human interest in 

 the gorilla, chimpanzee and orang-utan centres in the 

 degree of their resemblance, in form and in act, to humanity. 

 In every tongue that is spoken before an ape's cage, you 

 will hear expressed the central idea of your own observa- 

 tions — "Just like a person ! " Each visitor, in his turn — 

 Caucasian, Mongolian, Polynesian and Negro — grapples for 

 a moment with the great question of "Relationship Between 

 Man and Apes," wrestles with it, and retires discomfited. 



Of the great anthropoid trio — gorilla, chimpanzee and 

 orang-utan — the chimpanzee is by far the best known. It 

 lives longer in captivity than either of the other species, it 

 is of more active habit, and also more intelligent. Crowley, 

 Chiko, Johanna and Kitty, formerly of the Central Park 

 Menagerie, but now distinguished members of the hall of 

 apes and monkeys at the American Museum, all were 

 chimpanzees, and will live long in the memories of the 

 children of Greater New York. 



The gorilla is one of the rarest animals ever shown in 

 zoological gardens. In captivity it is sullen and lymphatic, 

 and its objection to exercise is so violent and deeply rooted 

 as to suggest the line of descent whence has come that arch 

 enemy of all labor — the American tramp. The gorilla's 

 sullen disposition and pernicious inactivity predisposes the 

 animal to indigestion, loss of appetite, and an early death. 



Owing to the extreme infrequency with which gorillas are 

 captured alive, and to their refusal to harmonize with their 

 environment when caught, their months of life in captivity 

 are, in every case, but few. Only three or four specimens 

 have ever been exhibited in Europe. Of those, two were 

 inmates in the London Zoological Gardens, the first one in 

 1887, and the other in 1896, 



Despite all the efforts of showmen exerted to obtain 

 genuine gorillas, and also to palm off cheap and common old 



dog-faced baboons as genuine Troglodytes, no live gorilla has 

 ever reached the American continent until the present year. 



hor many months I have watched with great interest the 

 work of two American ape-fanciers, the Edwards brothers, 

 in training orang-utans and chimpanzees, which they con- 

 tinually exhibit. Ever on the watch for new simian 

 "talent," they found hi Liverpool, last April, in the 

 possession of a dealer, a genuine baby gorilla, alive and well. 

 They promptly purchased the strange little creature, and on 

 May 2, the first specimen of Troglodytes ?iiger ever seen alive 

 in this country, arrived in Boston, and was exhibited there. 



It was 20 inches in height, 15^ pounds in weight, and 

 its portrait is reproduced herewith. The sailors who brought 

 it to Liverpool from the Gaboon country stated that its 

 capture was due to an accident to its mother, who was killed 

 by a falling tree. When first captured the natives fed it on 

 plantains and rice, but on reaching civilization its bill of fare 

 was extended to include milk, dry bread, apples, oranges, 

 figs and bananas. 



Although the little creature was a hearty eatery an ener- 

 getic fighter, and apparently desirous of long 'life, fate 

 proved unkind. For such a delicate and sensitive animal, 

 it was brought across the Atlantic a little too early. On the 

 voyage over it contracted a severe cold, which resulted in its 

 death only five days after it reached Boston. 



I am tempted to mention one other of the numerous 

 anthropoid pets of the Edwards brothers. Probably no 

 orang-utan, nor chimpanzee, has ever proven more intelli- 

 gent, amiable or obedient than the wonderful orang-utan 

 called "Joe," now known to thousands of people on the 

 Pacific coast, and in Boston. Joe's special mission in life 

 seems to be the caricaturing of humanity. Unlike most 

 individuals of his species, he is fond of human society, and 

 not only permits himself to be dressed up and posed and 

 exploited as a man, but he enjoys it. I once had the pleas- 

 ure-of meeting Joe, and of being presented to him. At a 

 gentle hint from Mr. Edwards he saluted me by taking off 

 his cap and shaking hands with me, after which he put on 

 his coat, and for half an hour entertained me to the best' of 

 his ability, — which was great. He understands, and without 

 hesitation obeys, about twenty-five different commands. 



Through the kindness of the Messrs. Edwards, we also 

 reproduce herewith a picture of another anthropoid travesty 

 on the genus Homo,an amiable chimpanzee dressed in human 

 garments. It is merely the idea of relationship carried one 

 step farther than unaided nature can go. 



W. T. H. 



AN ANTHROPOID TRAVESTY. 



