Monograph of the Genus Semnopithecus. 325 



of the Semnopitheci, and imparts to the physiognomy an air 

 of intelligence, almost justifying the popular belief of the na- 

 tives of Borneo, that the Kahau, (as they term it from its cry), 

 is a being endowed with reason. It is to be observed, how- 

 ever, that the nose is not developed to so great a degree in 

 the second species, {Nasalis recurvus of Vigors and Horsfield), 

 and that setting this organ aside, or supposing it removed, 

 the face would not materially differ in its outline from that of 

 the Semnopitheci generally. It may be added that the gene- 

 ral contour of the body is the same as in the rest of the Sem- 

 nopitheci; as we particularly noticed this fact in the specimen 

 we dissected : the body was meager, and the limbs long and 

 slender. 



Perhaps it may be deemed presumptuous to contend against 

 the authority of Geoffroy, who founded the genus Nasalis, 

 but the aim of every naturalist is truth, and truth owns no 

 authority. Geoffroy St. Hilaire in his lectures, indeed, ad- 

 mits the uncertainty in which his genus Nasalis stands, when 

 he says of the Kahau that its manner among the trees, and 

 its general habits, are similar to those of all the other Semno- 

 pitheci, but that " nevertheless it does not appear to us to be 

 yet demonstrated that the long-nosed monkey, (singe nasique), 

 is truly a Semnopithecus ; and it is very possible, that when 

 the species shall become less imperfectly known, we may be 

 under the necessity of re-establishing the genus Nasalis, in 

 which it was formerly isolated, but which has not been ad- 

 mitted by the majority of modern authors." Since however 

 the anatomy of this animal is known, — since its digestive ap- 

 paratus is that of a Semnopithecus, the stomach exhibiting 

 those structural peculiarities as yet actually found in no other 

 group of the Simiadce, all doubtful speculation seems at an end. 

 We must therefore, (and we think, rightly) merge the genus 

 Nasalis into Semnopithecus, from which it has been needless- 

 ly separated. 



The next genus in question, namely, Pygathrix of Geoffroy, 

 Lasiopyga of Illiger, stands in the same predicament as Na- 

 salis, and must also merge into Semnopithecus; the apparent 

 want of callosities in the douc monkey induced both Geoffroy 

 and Illiger to found each a genus for its reception. Now it 

 happens unfortunately for these authors, that the specimen on 

 which both relied was mutilated, the callosities being cut a- 

 way ; but callosities do not only exist in the douc, but they 

 are large ; a fine specimen of this beautiful monkey has been 

 often carefully examined by ourselves, and we give the fact 

 of the presence of callosities upon our personal observation. 



