Africa is the only part of the world known to be the residence of the Chimpanzee, which it should be remembered has been confirmed, as Cuvier observes, by almost all zoologists. The specimen described by Dr. Traill was procured in the Isle of Princes, in the Gulf of Guinet, from a native trader, who had carried it thither from the banks of the Gaboon. The individual exhibited in the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, in 1831, had been obtained by a trading vessel on the river Gambia ; and those exhibited at the Gardena of the Zoological Society have all been brought front the coast of Africa. Cuvier gives Guinea and Congo as its localities. The subject of Professor Owen'e paper wad shot by a European at Sierra Leone.
liabite..--The habits of the Chimpanzee in a state of nature are but imperfectly known. Cutler states that the Chimpanzees live in troops, construct themselves huts of leaves, arm themselves with sticks and stones, and employ these weapons to drive man and the elephant from their dwellings. He also repeats the story of their pursuit of the negreames and carrying them off into the woods. This report is still credited in the country where they are found. Speaking of Captain Payne, Dr. Traill, in his interesting paper in the Wernerian Transactions,' says, "The natives of Gaboon informed him that this species attaius the height of five or six feet ; that it is a formidable antagonist to the elephant ; and that several of them will not scruple to attack the lion and other beasts of prey with clubs and stones. It is dangerous for solitary individuals to travel through the woods haunted by the orang, and instances were related to Captain Payne of negro girls being carried off by this animal, who have sometimes escaped to human society after having been for years detained by their ravishers in a frightful captivity. These reports confirm the narratives of the early voyagers, who have often been suspected of exaggeration; and similar facts have been recently stated, very circum stantially, by gentlemen who have lived in Western Africa." An it is now however well made out that there are two species of Chimpanzee inhabiting the Gaboon, and the larger of the two has not been seen alive in Europe, it is probable the habits of the two animals have been confounded.
In a state of captivity its manners have been the theme of many a tale and much admiration ; and as most of the individuals described have died very young, conjecture has been busy as to the progress the animal might make if its education were continued to the adult state. "Deductions," says Professor Owen in hii paper above referred to, "in favour of the anthropomorphous character of the orangs have been derived from observation of the living habits of young orangs ; but these cannot be regarded as affording a type of the nature of the adults, since it is well known that the docilitz and gentle manners of the young ape rapidly give way to an unteachable obstinacy and untameable ferocity in the adult ; at least of those species to which, as I shall afterwards show, the full-grown orangs have the nearest resemblance in the form of the head." Captain Payne thus describes the manners of the animal which formed the subject of Dr. Traill's paper. " When our animal came
ou board," says Captain Payne, "it shook hands with some of the sailors, but refused its hand with marks of anger to others without any apparent cause. It speedily however became familiar with the crew, except one boy, to whom it never was reconciled. When the seamen's mess was brought on deck it was a constant attendant ; would go round and embrace each person while it uttered loud yells, and then seat itself among them to share the repast." It sometimes expressed its anger by a barking noise like a dog; at others it would cry like a froward child, and scratch itself most vehemently. When any favourite morsel was given to it, sweetmeats more especially, it expressed its satisfaction by a sound like ' hem,' in a grave tone. The variety of its tones seems to have been small. It was active and cheerful in warm latitudes, but languor came on as it left the torrid zone ; and on approaching our shores it manifested a desire for warm covering, and would roll itself carefully up in a blanket when it went to rest. It generally progressed on all fours, and Captain Payne particularly observed that it never placed the palms of the hands of its anterior extremities on the ground, but closing its fists rested on the knuckles. This mode of progression noticed by Tyson was con firmed to Dr. Traill by a young naval officer who had been for a considerable time employed in the rivers of Western Africa, and had opportunities of observing the habits of this species. Captain Pa3rne'a animal did not seem fond of the erect posture, which it rarely affected, though it could run nimbly on two feet for a short distance. In this case it appeared to aid the motion of its legs by grasping the thighs with its hands. It had great strength is the four fingers of its superior extremity ; for it would often awing by them on a rope upwards of an hour without intermission. When first procured it was so thickly covered with hair that the akin of the trunk and limbs was scarcely visible until the long black hair was blown aside. It ate readily every sort of vegetable food; but at flrat did not appear to relish flesh, though it seemed to have pleasure in sucking the leg-bone of a fowl. At that time it did not relish wine, but afterwards seemed to like it, though it never could endure ardent spirits. It once stole a bottle of wine, which it uncorked with its teeth and began to drink. It showed a predilection for coffee, and was immoderately fond of sweet articles of food. It learned to feed itself with a spoon, to drink out of a glass, and showed a general disposition to imitate the actions of men. It was attracted by bright metals, seemed to take a pride in clothing, and often put a cocked hat on its head. It was dirty in its habits, and never was known to wash itself. It was afraid of fire arms; and on the whole appeared a timid animal. It lived with Captain Payne seventeen weeks, two of which were spent in Cork and Liverpool. At the former place it was exhibited for the benefit of the soup-kitchen for a few days, but seems to have been there neglected. On coming to Liverpool it languished for a few days, moaned heavily, was oppressed in its breathing, and died with con vulsive motions of the limbs.