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Show 44 by the four extremities. They do not appear ever to act. on the offensi. ve, and se ldo m, 1' f ever real ly, on the d.e fensive. . When about to be captured, they resist by throwln~ t~elf arms about their opponent, and attempting to draw him Into contact with their teeth." (Savage, 1. c. P· 38.4.) .. With respect to this last point Dr. Savage IS very exphc1t in another place : ,, Biting is their principal art of defence. I have seen one man who had been thus severely wounded in the feet. ,, The strong development of the canine teeth in the adult would seem to indicate a carnivorous propensity; but in no state save that of domestication do they manifest it. At first they reject flesh, but easily acquire a fondness for it. The canines are early developed, and evidently designed to act the important part of weapons of defence. When in contact with man almost the first effort of the animal is-to bite. "They avoid the abodes of men, and build their habitations in trees. Their construction is more that of nests than huts, as they have been erroneously termed by some naturalists. They generally build not far above the ground. Branches or twigs are bent, or partly broken, and crossed, and the whole supported by the body of a limb or a crotch. Sometimes a nest will be found near the end of a strong leafy branch twenty or thirty feet from the ground. One I have lately seen that could not be less than forty feet, and more probably it was fifty. But this is an unusual height. " Their dwelling-place is not permanent, but changed in pursuit of food and solitude, according to the force of circumstances. We more often se~ them in elevated places; but this arises from the fact that the low grounds, being more favourable for the natives' rice-farms, are the oftener cleared, and hence are almost always wanting in suitable trees for their nests. . . . . It is seldom that more than one or two nests are seen upon the same tree, or in the 45 same neighbourhood: five have been found, but it was an unusual circumstance." • • . . . . • ''They are very filthy in their habits. . • . . It is a tradition with the natives generally here, that they were once members of their own tribe : that for their depraved habits they were expelled from all human society, and, that through an obstinate indulgence of their vile propensities, they have degenerated into their present state and organization. They are, however, eaten by them, and when cooked with the oil and pulp of the palm-nut considered a highly palatable morsel. "They exhibit a remarkable degree of intelligence in their habits, and, on the part of the mother, much affection for their young. The second female described was upon a tree when first discovered, with her mate and two young ones (a male and a female). I-Ier first impulse was to descend with great rapidity, and make off into the thicket, with her mate and female offspring. The young male remaining behind, she soon returned to the rescue. She ascended and took him in · her arms, at which moment she was shot, the ball passing through the fore-arm of the young one, on its way to the heart of the mother . "In a recent case, the mother, when discovered, remained upon the tree with her offspring, watching intently the movements of the hunter. As he took aim, she motioned with her hand, precisely in the manner of a human being to have him desist and go away. When the wound has no~ proved instantly fatal, they have been known to stop the flow of bl~od. by pressing with the hand upon the part, and when this did not suc.ceed, to apply leaves and grass .•.• When shot, they give a sudden screech, not unlike that of a human being in sudden and acute distress.'' The ordinary voice of the Chimpanzee, however, is affirmed to be hoarse, guttural, and not very loud, somewhat like '' whoo-whoo." (I. c. p. 365.) The analogy of the Chimpanzee to the Orang, in its nest- |
