THE ORANG-OUTANG- AND THE BAGPIPES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9565, 22 October 1892, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE ORANG-OUTANG- AND THE BAGPIPES.

A correspondent oE the Spectator, who has ' been making experiments ■with, various musical instruments ou the animals at the Zoological Gardens, mites as foliows with, regard to one of his latest tests :— Our first visit was paid to " Jack," the young red orang-outang, which, since the death of "Sally," tne chimpanzee,'claims the highest place in animal organisation among the inmates o£ the Zoo. He is a six-mouths-old baby, of extremely grave and deliberate manners, and perhaps tr.o most irresistibly comical creature which has ever been seen in London. Ho is extremely well-beha voci, noli in the least shy, and as friendly -with strangers as with his teepe?. His arms are as strong as those of a man, while his legs and feet seem to be used less for walking ihan as a subsidiary pair of arms and hands. He is thus able, when much interested, to hold .bis face between two hands, and to rest his chin on a third, which gives him An air or pondering reflection beyond any power of human imitation. "He knows there's sotne•thing up," remarked his keeper, as we entered the house, and tb.e ape came to the bars and sat down to inspect h'.s visitors. As the sounds of the violin began, he -suspended himself against the bars, and then, with one hand above his head, •dropped the other to his side, and listened with ■grave attention. As the sound increased in •volume he dropp ed to the ground, and all the hair on his body stood up with fear. Ho then crept away on a3l fours, lcoking hack over his shoulder like a frightened baby; and taking up his piece of carpst, which does duty for a shawl, shook it out, and threw it completely over his head and body, and drew ii; tight round him. After a short, time, as the music continued, he gained courage and put out his head, and at last threw away the cloak and came forward again. By this time his hair was lying flat, and his £ear had given place to pleasure. The piccolo at first frightened the monkey, but he soon held out his hand for the instrument, which he was allowed to examine. The flute did not interest him, but the bagpipes—reproduced on the violin—achieved a triumph. He just flattened his nose against the bars, and then, scrambling to the centre of the cage, turned head over heals, and lastly, sitting down, chucked handfuls of straw in the air and over his head, "smiling," as the keeper said, with delight and approval.