The Admiral is out for her morning walk with Alfie.

Good morning, William. Where's your fairy friend today?

Curled up at home, I'm afraid. He's not feeling himself.

Yes, Alfie, it is a worry.

You don't say, a 24-hour vet line?

Wow.

With Admiral Pet Insurance, you get Poor Squad, which means impartial advice from vets on speed dial.

And if you cover more than one pet on our multi-pet policy, you get a 15% discount.

Admiral, always looking out for you.

This is the Nature Pastcast, each month raiding Nature's archive and looking at key moments in science.

In this show, it's back to the 18, Thursday, June 29, 1876.

Notes. Page 200.

During last week, a young living male gorilla was seen at Liverpool for a few days on its

way to Hull, and thence to Germany.

It had been brought from the west coast of Africa by the German African Society's expedition

and measured three feet in height.

This is the second specimen of a gorilla which has,

with certainty, been seen living in this country. The first, 20 years ago, was mistaken for a

chimpanzee. I think it's fair to say that at the time all of Europe was in a kind of gorilla fever.

There was a real fascination with primates, particularly the gorilla,

because at that time, the gorilla was considered to be man's closest relative in the animal kingdom. My name is Oliver

Hochardle. I'm a historian of science. And among my case studies is the history of the 19th century

...