O Simie, quum talem tu habeas dementiam, imperium in bruta tenebris?
Aesopus.

Sir,

I am induced, thinking it may prove interesting to some of your foreign readers, to transmit to you the following description of an animal, which has recently made its appearance in this country, I mean the DANDY.

The Dandy is a very singular animal, of the ape apecies; it is gregarious and carnivorous, and of an extraordinary size, sometimes attaining the height of six feet, when standing upon its hind legs; and it so much resembles the human race, that, at a distance it might be mistaken for a man, but, on a nearer approach, the form, action and voice of the creature prove it to be a monkey. The Dandy has either twenty-eight or thirty-two teeth, eight of which are of the description called dentes incisores, four canine teeth, and sixteen or twenty dentes molares, or grinding teeth; the head has nothing remarkable about it, except its extreme shallowness: the nose is small, and turns upward at the end, and the nether lip falls in; the back is particularly long, and concave near the haunches, which shews that this animal could not be used advantageously for labour, as it must necessarily be very weak: like the monkey tribe, it is remarkably small in girth, near to the hind extremities, which are very small and thin; the feet are long, narrow pointed; there are five toes on each foot.

The Dandy is an imitative animal, and can mimic the actions of a man with great facility; at times, it will twirl a stick, or ride on a horse, and sometimes it will endeavour to perform the part of a coachman, but this is not very often: it more frequently is seen in fruiterers’ shops, eating with great avidity, nuts, apples and sweetmeats, of which last it is extremely fond. At certain seasons of the year, and at certain hours, Dandies are to be seen hobbling about in troops, and walking with great difficulty upon their hind legs, to hide the deformity of which leather cases are put on them, something like boots. These creatures are generally the pets of some old widow of fortune, or young lady who has just left boarding-school; and consequently are more frequently seen at the west-end of the town, than in the city; and on a fine warm day, they may be found in Bond Street, and Hyde Park; but unless the weather is very mild, these animals cannot stir out of the house , the cold of the winter will, no doubt, kill many of them; and, as our climate does not appear congenial to them, it may be supposed that they will seek a milder air, and will most likely locate in France.

Quoted from: Le Mercure de Londres. 1ère année, No 5, 25.03.1826.