388 Mr. A. R. Wallace's Account of an Infant Orang-Utan. 



when its food was not sufficiently sweet or palatable, it would 

 turn the mouthful about with its tongue for a moment as if 

 trying to extract what flavour there was, and then push it all out 

 between its lips. If the same food was continued, it would set 

 up a scream and kick about violently, exactly like a baby in a 

 passion. 



After about three weeks I obtained a small Hare-lipped 

 Monkey [Macacus cynomolgus)^ which, though young, had its 

 first teeth, was very active, and could feed itself. I placed it in 

 the same box with the Mias and they immediately became ex- 

 cellent friends, not exhibiting the least fear of each other. The 

 little monkey would sit upon the Mias' stomach, or even on its 

 face, with very little regard to its feelings, and after feeding 

 would pick oft' what was sticking to its lips, and then pull open 

 its mouth and put its little hand in to see if any was left inside, 

 and would afterwards lie down across its body in whatever posi- 

 tion was most convenient, without at all consulting the comforts 

 of its companion. The poor little Mias would submit to all 

 these insults with the most exemplary patience, seeming quite 

 glad to have something warm about its body, and occasionally 

 taking its revenge by clutching tight hold of the loose skin on 

 the monkey's back or head, and then, when he tried to escape, 

 holding on by the long tail as long as it could, the vigorous 

 jumps of the monkey generally being too much for it in the 

 end. 



It was curious to observe the dift*erence between these two. 

 The Mias like a young baby lying on its back quite helpless, 

 rolling lazily from side to side, stretching out its four hands into 

 the air wishing to grasp something, but unable to guide its 

 fingers to any particular object, and when dissatisfied opening 

 wide its almost toothless mouth and expressing its wants by an 

 infantine scream. The little monkey, on the other hand, in con- 

 stant motion, running and jumping about wherever it pleased, 

 examining everything with its fingers and seizing hold of the 

 smallest objects with the greatest precision, balancing itself on 

 the edge of the box, or running up a post and helping itself to 

 everything eatable that came in its way. There could not be a 

 greater contrast, and the baby Mias looked more baby- like by 

 the comparison. 



In order to give my infant a little exercise and strengthen its 

 limbs, I contrived a kind of ladder upon which I put it to hang 

 for a quarter of an hour at a time ; but this was not much to its 

 liking, as it could not get all four of its legs into convenient 

 positions. It would hang for some time by two hands only, and 

 then suddenly leaving go with one would cross it to the opposite 

 shoulder to catch hold of its own hair, and thinking no doubt 



