MONKEY LOVE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3383, 18 July 1927, Page 8

MONKEY LOVE.

LMI TATI NG HUMANKIND

German research into the ways of the great apes has been productive of late oi some interesting new details. Lecturing at the Berlin Zoological Gardens, Professor Braudes, of Dresden, who is especially interested in orang-outangs, has,given it as his opinion that the throat of these animals—constructed somewhat after the fashion of bagpipes— is used for a peculiar kind of rhythmic buzzing, apparently a form of song in which his own species indulge for minutes at a time. Ills habit of sitting in a half-doze, scraping bits of chalk from the walls of his cage, has nn uncanny parallel, according to°the famous criminal doctor, Professor Stiauch. ill the way of prisoners condemned to solitary confinement if they have come from rural districts and are used to the open. ' Professor Heck, tiic authority on chimpanzees, declares that there are clever and stupid among monkeys as among human beings, but there are more stupid females than males. He is of opinion that chimpanzees have a very great respect for one another, and display toleration rather than admiration towards men. They are capable of a great amount of affection and gratitude. When a consignment arrived at the station at Berlin and were placed together for transport to the Zoo, they shook one another’s hands and embraced repeatedly. When ho’was at Cape Teneriffe a terrible rainstorm frightened and deluged Ids captives. The professor, awakened by their noisy complaints, rose and opened their cage, inviting them to follow him to a spit under shelter. They seemed shy at first, but having taken his advice, "showed pleasure by coming_ up to him one by one and putting their aims about him. Professor Heck declared again, as he lias before that the idea of caring for the ■omplexion (in this case, skin) by constant friction is more powerful than that of .searching one another for parasites, and that apes remain young and in good ■•ondition by conscious gymnastic exercise when hi a state of nature. _ Lack of this is what causes so much illness in captivitv.