Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-06
TIE RARY cHINIrANzpE.

The most amiable and altogether lovely
monkey baby that ever lived among peo-
pie is the baby chimpanzee He is a roly-
poly little fellow, with a large head and
long arms, and his face looks like one of
our babies, for it is hght-colored and
smooth, and the hair on his head is longer
than it is in most monkeys.
For two or three weeks, too, he is as
helpless as a human baby, and has to be
carried everywhere but then there begins
to be a difference. He tries TO get about
alone, and it is only d few weeks before he
can run around as well as any of his fam
lily. He goes on all tours stepping on the
knuckles of his hands, and never laying
them out flat on the palm.
He grows up faster than our babies, too.
At six weeks old he begins TO eat fruit, and
long before human baby leaves off bis
milk diet the baby chimpanzee eats every
thing his mother does, and he is able to
scramble about in the trees in way that
no human baby-however old or skillful-
can ever do. He is quite grown up at or
10 years old.
The baby is very fond of a frolic, like
other little folk. In their native woods in
Africa groups of young chimpanZees are
seen playing together like party of chill
dren, running after each other, turning
somersaults. swinging, shouting and
screaming, and, above all, drumming on
log with a stick, which they like to do as
well as any of you boys like TO play on a
regular drum. When they are hungry they
eat fruit or plants.
But it is as a captive that the little
chimpanzee is best known, and here he be-
HAYES curiously Ike child. For one
thing, lie doesn't like TO be shut up in a
cage, and he does like to sit on the lap of
his nurse and be cuddled ike a baby.
He will put his arms around her neck and
cry when she puts him down. In fact, he
sometimes makes a great fuss about IL,
screams and throws himself on the floor,
and kicks and rolls over. But this is not
often Generally he is gentle and affection
ate and full of play, laughing when he is
while his hazel eyes twinkle with fun.
The most interesting thing about the
Young chimpanzee is his desire to do as
people DO. He greatly likes to get hold of
clothes 10 wear. He easily learns to eat
with spoon and fork, to drink with cup
and saucer, and TO enjoy our food, even
hot tea When he grows older he even
goes so far as TO like to smoke, and to
shake hands.
He is very cunning and full of curiosity,
as well as intelligent. He can thread a
needle and lock and unlock doors or boxes,
using key as well as anybody. Also, he
likes to tease. One in the London Zoolog-
ical Garden had great fun in jumping upon
cage where lived some marmosets. These
are little creatures, you know, and natural
ly they chartered and crouched in corner,
and were frightened half out of their wits,
This exactly pleased Master Chimpanzee,
and in few minutes, when they had got
over their fright, he would pounce on them
again. When denied what he wanted, the
little fellow pouted and made harsh bark
ing sounds, but if very angry-as l said
lie screamed and rolled on the floor, open
ing his mouth wide, and throwing his arms
around to hit everything he could reach.
He was very Gtfectionate to other CHM
panzees, putting his arms around them,
and he had great romps with an orang
outang.
All monkeys-as well as children are
fond of playthings, and the one am telling
about was presented with doll. He
hardly knew at first whether to be afraid
of it or not, and it was tied to the end of
rope Then he could swing it and jerk it,
which he did which great giee laughing to
see the antics of the thing. His laugh is
not so hearty as ours, but a sort of loud
whispered Ha haw
There has been a notion among people
that a monkey cannot smile, much less
laugh but that has been proved a mistake.
Close observers, AS Darwin and auckland,
affirm that the chimpaIzee can do both.
The baby chimpanzee likes 10 play with
and whatever they do he does
after them. If the youngsters make up
faces at him, he returns the compliment,
thrusting out his lips till they look like
trumpet. Like tie children, too, he is
fond of sweets and milk; and unlike
them, he will wash his own hands and face.
He's droll little fellow, with high
shoulders, and big ears. and beautiful
white teeth, and his name is Troglodytes
Niger Olire Thorae Maier.