Their arms are longer and their legs shorter than ours are, and they live much in trees, where they have to use both feet and hands in getting about. So, when they come down to the ground they also use their arms to help them get about. They do not walk on four legs in the way of most other animals, nor on two legs in the way of men, but move in a jumping fashion, putting their hands to the ground and jumping through them. This looks like an awkward way of travelling, but they can get over the ground pretty fast, for all that.
A fact of much interest is that the bones, the muscles, and the blood-vessels of these animals are exactly like those of man, except in size. And the same may be said of their brains. These are smaller than a man's brain, but they are very much like it in all other ways. The weak point of these brains lies in their small size. They seem to think in the same way as we do, but they come to the end of their thinking powers when we are just past the beginning.
There are four different kinds of man-like apes, known as the Gorilla, the Orang Outang, the Chimpanzee, and the Gibbon. Of these the first two are large animals, the gorilla being larger and stronger than a man. It is a savage brute, too wild and fierce to be tamed, but this is not the case with the orang, which can easily be tamed and is very teachable.
These two are solitary creatures, living by themselves, but the chimpanzee, which is smaller, is very fond of company, and lives with its fellows in the woods, leaping about among the trees in a very sportive fashion. The gibbons are much smaller than the others, but have very long arms. When they stand erect their hands nearly reach the ground and they may be seen at times walking in the same way as we do, but holding their arms above their heads. If disturbed in any way down come their arms and they run away in the same manner as the other apes.
The gibbons are gentle and easily tamed and have often been kept as pets. They are less intelligent than the others, and it is the chimpanzee and the orang which can best be taught man's ways when kept as man's companions. Many tales could be told of the smart doings of those tamed apes and it will be well to give a few of them.
Buffon, a famous French naturalist, tells us of a tame chimpanzee which always walked on its hind-legs, even when it had a heavy weight to carry. The chimpanzee does not do this in the woods, but this one was in company with man and learned to walk in the same way as man. Buffon goes on to say:
"I have seen this animal present its hand to conduct the company to the door or walk about with them through the room; I have seen it sit at table, unfold its napkin, wipe its lips, make use of a spoon or fork to carry its victuals to its mouth, pour out its drink into a glass, touch glasses when invited, go for its cup and saucer, carry them to the table, pour out its tea, sweeten and leave it to cool, and all this without any other instigation than the signs or commands of its keeper and sometimes even of its own accord. It was gentle and inoffensive; it even approached you with a kind of respect and as if only seeking for caresses."
Captain Brown, the writer of a book on the habits of animals, tells us this interesting story of a trained chimpanzee:
"Madame Grandpré saw on board a vessel a female chimpanzee which showed wonderful proofs of intelligence. She had learned to heat the oven; she took great care not to let any of the coals fall out, which might have done mischief in the ship; and she was very accurate in observing when the oven was heated to the proper degree, of which she apprised the baker. With perfect confidence in her information, he carried his dough to the oven as soon as the chimpanzee came to fetch him.
"The animal performed all the duties of a sailor, spliced ropes, handled the sails, and assisted at unfurling them, and she was, in fact, looked upon by the sailors as one of themselves."