THE BARBARY APE. 



had been fent to him alive, from Barbary, by Profefibr des Fontaines. This 

 animal had all the characters afcribed to the Pithecus of the ancients ; but it 

 was young when he received it ; and fome time afterwards the canine teeth 

 increafed greatly in length and fize, the muzzle became larger and longer, 

 and the animal proved to be the true Cynocephalus, or Barbary Ape. There 

 is another circumftance which may perhaps have likewife contributed to this 

 mifiake : the individuals of every lpecies of Monkeys and Apes differ greatly 

 in their fize and colour, owing to the climate they are in, the kind of 

 nourimment they receive, and the Hate of liberty or flavery in which they 

 live. 



The Barbary Ape has no tail, but only a little appendage of lkin, about 

 fix lines in length. It has pouches, callofities on its thighs, and very 

 firong canine teeth. Its face is tawny, Ipotted with brown ; it is whitilh 

 tinder the eyes, which are of a greenilh grey. The body is covered with 

 hairs of a greenilh brown ; they are very thick fet on the back, but thinner 

 on the belly, where they are likewife more inclining to white. It is from 

 three to four feet high, when in an erect pofiure. It walks more on all four 

 feet than on two, and, when fitting, fupports its body on two callofities 

 fituated on the buttocks. 



This animal, when full grown, is very dull, fullen, ill-natured, fierce, 

 and mifchievous, and not to be tamed ; bat, when taken young, it is capable 

 of receiving a fort of education, and may, by difcipline, be taught to 

 perform fome tricks. It is very common in exhibitions of animals. Dellon 

 fays (a) they will afiemble in great troops, in the open fields, in India ; will 

 attack women going to market, and take their provifions from them. The 

 females carry their young in their arms, and will leap from tree to tree with 

 them. Apes were formerly worfhipped in India, and had magnificent 

 temples erected to them (b). Linfchotten relates (c), that when the 

 Portuguefe plundered one of thefe temples, in the Iiland of Ceylon, they 

 found, in a little gold calket, the tooth of an Ape; a relic held by the 



(a) Dellon's Voy. 83. 



(b) Pennant. 



(c) Linfchotten Voy. 53. 



