90 
ANIMAL CURIOSITIES 
and in no way inherited, is made manifest 
by the fact that it does not descend to their 
offspring, for although Barbara has given birth 
to nearly a score of young ones during her 
sojourn in captivity, yet not a single one has 
survived for more than a week or two, every 
individual having succumbed to the attack of 
the microbes responsible for causing bronchial 
or pulmonary trouble in its varying forms. 
Should, however, she ever succeed in rearing 
some babies, and these in turn have cubs of 
their own, there would then be reason to hope 
that the latter would be able to survive the 
critical period of their existence, for each 
successive generation would gradually benefit 
by the degree of immunity attained by the 
parents against the malignant microbes. 
Apart from the initial dangers attending 
the introduction of living creatures to a climate 
unlike that to which they have previously 
been accustomed, there is always the risk of 
their becoming infected with illnesses through 
the mere fact of being brought into close 
contact with human beings who are prone 
to carry germs about with them. For this 
reason the chimpanzees and other anthropoid 
apes at the London Zoo are separated from 
the public by a dividing screen of plate-glass 
which not only helps to keep away obnoxious 
