Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-10-15
APES ACTING LIKE MEN
THE GORILLA AND CHIMPANzEI
IN CAPTIVITY.
A Gorilla Who Expresses His Wishes
by Different Sounds-Two Intelli
gent Chimuanzees.

by Different Sounds-Two IntelH
gent Chimpanzees.
In an article on anthropoid apes
writer In Chambers's Journal says: Let
us turn to the gorilla in captivity; and
we can only take one out of several in.
dividuals described. The one re erred
to was caught young and gradually &c.
customed to a mixed diet preparatory
to his being brought from Africa to
Europe. While still with his first pos.
SCISSORS he was allowed to run about as he
chose, being only watched as little chill.
drcn are watched. He chung to human
companiolship; showed no trace of mis-
chievous, malicious, or savage qualities,
but was sometimes self-willed. He ex-
pressed the ideas which occurred to him
by different sounds, one of which was
the Characteristic tone of importunate
petition, while other sounds expressed
fright or horror, aud in rare instances a
sullen and defiant growl might be heard.
In moments of exuberant satisfaction he
would raise himself on h hind
legs, rub his breast with both
fists, or, after quite human fash
ion, clap his hands together-this
was an action which no one had
taught him. His dexterity in eating was
remarkable. He took up cup or glass
with instructive care, clasped the vessel
with both hands, and set it down again
so softly and carefully that the narrator
cannot remember his breaking a single
article of household goods. "His be.
havior at meal time was quiet and man.
nerly; he only took as much as he could
hold with his thumb, fore and mid.
die fingers, and looked on with indiffer-
ence when any of the different forms Of
food heaped before him were taken
away. If, however, nothing was given
him he growled impaticntly, looked mar.
rowly at all the dishes from his place at
table, and accompanied every plate car
red OF by the negro boys with an angry
snarl or short, resentful cough, and
sometimes he sought to seize the arm of
the passer-by, in order to express his
displeasure more plainly by bite or o
blow. He drank by suction, STOPPING
over the vessel, without even putting his
hands into it or upsetting it, and in the
case of smaller vessels he carried them to
his mouth" He was clever in manifest.
ing his wishes. and often expressed them
in an urgent and caressing manner.
Childlike, he took special pleasure in
making i noise by beating Oh hollow
articles, and he seldom omitted an op.
portunity of drumming on casks, dishes
or tin trays whenever he passed by them.
After being brought to Berlin, however,
he did not live long, dying of 'gallop-
ing consumption"
The second species of anthropoid apes
is the chimpanzee. The full-grown ami
NAL of this species is smaller than the
adult gorilla.
A male chimpanzee, which was KEEP,
in the Berlin Aquarium in 1876, was re
markabte for his excessive liveliness, and
was on particularly friendly terms with
little two-year-Old boy, the son of Dr.
Hermes, the director of the aquarium
"When the child entered the room the
chimpanzce ran to meet him, embraced
and kissed him, seized his hand and drew
him to the sofa, that they might play
together. The child was often rough
with his playfellow, pulling him by thu
mouth, pinching his ears, or lying OF
him, yet the chimpanzec was neve
known to lose his temper. He behaved
very differently to boys between six anc
ten years old. When number of school
boys visited the Office he ran toward
them, went from one to the other, shool
one of them, bit the leg of another
seized the JACKET of a third with tn,
right hand, jumped up, and with the lef
gave him sound box ON the ear. il
short, he played the widest pranks.
seemed as if he were infected with thu
joyous excitement of youth, which in
duced him to riot with the troop o.
schoolboys."
One day when DR.. Hermes gave hi
nine year-old son n slight tap on tn
head for some blunder in his arithmetic
the chimpanzee, who was also sitting a
the table, thought it his duty Likewise t,
show his displeasure, and gave the DO,
sound box on the ear. If, again, DR.
Hermes pointed out to him that som,
one was staring or hooking at him, ant
said; do not put up with it, the crea
ture cried: 20! o." and rushed at tn,
person in question in order to strike o.
bite him, or express his displeasure il
some other way. When he saw the di
rector was writing he often seized pen
dipped it in the inkstand, and scrawlet
upon the paper. He displayed specia
talent for cleaning the widow panes o
the aquarium. 1t was amusing to SCI
him squeezing up the cloth, moistening
the pane with his lips, and then rubbing
it hard, passing quickly from one placl
to another"
OF female chimpanzee, Massica b.
name, kept in the Dresden Geological
Gardens, some extraordinary things art
told She was remarkable creature
not only in her external habits, but il
her disposition. She was fire. luently un
governable. She hardly obeyed anyone
except Schopf, the director of the gar
dens; AID when in good humor sh,
would sit on his knee and put her mus
cular arm around his neck with a ca
ressing gesture. But, ia spite of this, h,
was never quite secure from her roguish
tricks She was able to use a spoon
though somewhat awkwardly; and she
could pour from larger vessels into smaller
ones without spil.ing the liquor If sh,
was left alone for any time, she tried tc
open the lock of her cage; and she once
succeeded in doing 80, bat on that oc
casion she stole the key 1t was kept
hanging on the wall, and she, observing
it, took it down, hid it in her armpit,
and crept quietly back to her cage. When
the occasion served her purpose, with
the key she easily opened the lock and
walked out. She also knew how to use
a gimlet to wiring outwet clothes, and to
blow here nose with a handkerchief. II
allowed to do so she would draw off the
keepers boots, then scramb e with them
up to some place out of reach, and when
! ha aSknd for tbarn fhrou, thar, ~ HE