heard was to inform the troop of my approach, and that they would all immediately leave the trees, or any exalted situation that might expose them to view, and seek the bush; he also showed evident fear, and entreated me not to proceed any further in that direction. The plantations of bananas, papaws, and plaintains, which the natives usually intermix with their rice, constituting the favourite food of the Chimpanzees, accounts for their being so frequent in the neighbourhood of rice-fields. The difficulty of procuring live specimens of this genus arises, principally, I should say, from the superstitions of the natives concerning them, who believe they possess the power of 'witching.'"[1]
Several specimens of this interesting animal in its infancy, have at various times been brought to Europe, and the observations made on their manners in captivity have uniformly shewn it to possess a very high degree of intelligence of a peculiar character, great docility, and an affectionateness mixed with playfulness, far removed indeed from the character of the common Monkeys. The most interesting of all these individuals was a male, which lived in the menagerie of the Zoological Society about a year. For a considerable period after its arrival in September 1835, it continued in the best health and spirits, and having survived a winter in our cold and moist climate, hope was entertained that it might be reared to maturity. It died, however, in the following autumn. Several very pleasing accounts have been published of the manners of "Tommy," from which we select the following.
"On entering the room in which the Chim-
- ↑ Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839.
