82 



GORILLAS AND CHIMPANZEES 



as that of an animal of some kind, but I cannot 

 say just what his ideas concerning it really were. 



Chimpanzees are not usually so playful or funny 

 as monkeys, but they have a certain degree of mirth 

 in their nature, and at times display a marked sense 

 of humour. 



One thing that Moses liked was to play peek-a- 

 boo with me or the boy. He did not try to conceal 

 his body from view, but would hide his eyes, and 

 then peep. A favourite time for this was in the early 

 part of the afternoon. He would often go and put 

 his head behind a large tin box in the cage, while 

 his whole body was visible. In this attitude he 

 would utter a series of peculiar sounds, then draw 

 his head out, and look at me, to see if I was watch- 

 ing him. If not, he would repeat the act a few 

 times, and then hunt something else to amuse him- 

 self with. But if he could gain attention, the romp 

 began, and he found great pleasure in this simple 

 pastime. He would roll over, kick up his heels, 

 and grin, with evident delight. 



I spent much time in entertaining him in this 

 way, and felt amply repaid for it in the gratification 

 it afforded him. I could not resist his overtures to 

 play, as he was my companion and my friend, and, 

 living in that solitary gloom, it was a mutual 

 pleasure. 



Another occasion on which he used to peep at 

 me was when he lay down to take his midday nap. 

 For this I had made him a little hammock, which 

 was suspended by wires, so that it could be re- 



