MR REMUS CROWLEY, THE CULTURES CHIMPANZEE..

Otago Witness, Issue 1756, 18 July 1885, Page 26

MR REMUS CROW L EY, TH E CULTURES CHIMPANZEE..

During the winter the most of the animnls of the (Jen iral Park Menagerie are carefully housed, only a few being accustomed to cold winters remain where they are seen in the .summer. The chimpanzee, Remus Crowley, Esq., occupies a cage in the office of Superintendent Conklin. A temperature between 60 aud 70 degrees is maintained at all times, and the animal is as carefully protected from all draughts as an invalid person. In his native climate of Liberia cold draughts are unknown, and when exposed to them Mr Crowley pays the penalty with a sore throat or a cold in the head. At night a heavy blanket is placed in his cage, and when tho weather is extremely cold he wraps himself up up in it, but at other times uses it as a mattress. "Jake," a robust Park official, attends to him regularly, and the strongest attachment exists between them.

In personal appearances, Mr Crowley has , nothing delicate about him. He came to Central Park last June, and has now entered on his third year, growing rapidly and gaining over a pound a month; if he lives several years longer, he will probably attain a height of five feet. At present he is a trifle over two feet high, and weighs twenty-six pounds. His hair is parted in the middle and banged 011 the forehead ; his body is covered heavily with hair and has no tail. When ho stands upright, Mr Crowley presents fully as civilised an appearance as the man in a heavy fur coat who crowds himself in a narrow place in the street car. His hands are shrivelled and brown, but his nails are delicately tinted and well-shaped, though evidently not looked after by a manicure, and his feet have characteristics resembling those of human feet, except that they are more flexible, and he uses them as readily as he does his hands.

"Jake," said Mr Conklin, "we will have lunch, if it is Mr Crowley's time." " Jake " placed some bananas on a low table, and then a plate, cup and saucer, and knife and fork. After setting out an infant's chair with a cushion in it, he led by the hand the chimpiinzee, who had been watching him with apparent satisfaction. Mr Crowley spraug quickly into the chair, and then waited i>atiently while " Jake " pushed him up to the table, and placed a pink shawl on his shoulder.

" Will you have a banana, old boy ?" asked "Jake."

Mr Crowley passed over his plate, and received one that had been peeled for him. He picked up his knife and fork carefully, and cut a large piece from the fruit and transferred it on the fork to his mouth.

" Too much," said " Jake," disapprovingly ; " don't be greedy, Crowley." Mr Crowley cut the slices of the fruit into smaller pieces, and ate them deliberately. When "Jake" proposed a glass of milk, he nodded his head with a pleased grin, sipped the milk with a teaspoon, and then, lifting the cup to his mouth, drank a portion of it. His napkin is embroidered " Remus Crowley," and after drinking the chimpanzee wiped his broad mouth and chin with it fastidiously. But, having finished his meal, he held out his plate for more, and when refused protruded his lower lip, and cried disconsolately. Then he shook hands with the visitors, examined their finger-rings and pockets curioubly, and when returned to his cage with reluctance, made faces at all those present, and occasionally threw a handful of sawdust at them and danced boisterously.

"He is good-natured, and as playful as a child," said Mr Conklin, "not malicious, but full of mischief, and understands everything that goes on around him. In fact, he often reminds mo of a deaf and dumb child, or an idiot."

" Does he make any sound indicating speech ?" " No ; he utters peculiar cries, and moves his lips at times as a per.son would in talking. He bhov/s clearly the different emotions of anger, pain, and grief; sulks when offended, laughs when pleased. My belief in evolution has- increased, since I have seen many human being.s less intelligent, and. I believe that with caivful selection for breeding there is a strong possibility that the race might be developed and taught to speak. Tt certainly would bo an interesting experiment, and would certainly require several generations."

"Arc there any other chimpanzees in the country ?"

" There is a female in Philadelphia, but she had not received the attention which has been given Mr Crowley, and she sits sulkily and silent all day long. They nvn fierce and strong, and live 40 years in their native climate, but have always died after a few years when taken to other countries. We have been afraid that Crowley would get a cold that would result in pneumonia, but so far he has done well, and we hope that he may be acclimatised. If both of them continue to thrive, possibly we may be able to bring about an engagement, and ultimately a wedding between Mr Crowley and the young woman in Philadelphia. I don't think there would be anything to forbid the banns if both parbics were willing. Crowley is fond of company and does not like to bo left alone. Ho amuses himself by swinging and practising all sorts of athletic exercises that would make a gymnast envy his agility and strength. We

give him several ten-pin balls at times, and he never tires of rolling them, and making a terrible clatter. Recently a party of gentlemen met in my office to organise a Forestry Society. Crowley was immensely taken with the idea, and loudly applauded every speech."

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