4 Mr Grant's account of an Orang-Outang from Borneo. 



old ever found its way to Europe. If this opinion be correct, 

 the comparison of the adult human brain with the orang foetal 

 one can hardly be deemed quite fair or conclusive. M. Tiede- 

 mann perhaps never examined the brain of a full-grown orang. 

 Although the beautiful play of the features which we call 

 smiling is confined to man alone, yet is the orang-outang ca- 

 pable of a kind of laugh when pleasantly excited. For in- 

 stance, if tickled, the corners of his mouth draw up into a 

 grin ; he shows his teeth, and the diaphragm is thrown into 

 action, and reiterated grunting sounds, somewhat analogous to 

 laughter, are emitted by the animal. * The creature indeed 

 is extremely sensible to tickling in those parts where a human 

 being is, as the armpits and sides. There are two bony rid- 

 ges observable on the head, one running vertically, and the 

 other crossing it along the calvaria in the line of the ears. 

 The first is of considerable elevation, and very strong, as if 

 formed for the special protection of the longitudinal sinus. 



The protuberance of the abdomen, the slenderness of the 

 extremities, and the peculiar expression of the countenance, 

 give a kind of old man appearance to the creature. The phy- 

 siological purpose of the former peculiarity is not very clear. 

 It does not seem to be a result of obesity, or of an enlarge- 

 ment of the omentum, but of an increased capacity of the ab- 

 dominal parietes generally. 



When the creature is at rest the abdomen assumes that pro- 

 tuberant form which is commonly termed a " pot-belly.'' 1 This, 

 however, disappears when he swings from a tree, grasping 

 with his hind hands, (if I may use the expression) and his 

 head downwards ; for in swinging or climbing a tree, and go- 

 ing from branch to branch, it seems immaterial to him whether 

 he uses his hands or feet, his legs or arms. 



When he walks or turns, a strong ligamentous or band-like 



• I have observed in this individual, and also in a young female which 

 was in my possession for twelve months, when not excited by any appa- 

 rent cause, a contraction of the upper lip, showing the teeth, and a play 

 of the features resembling a smile, as if excited by some pleasant idea. 

 She also when tickled (withholding her breath and struggling) would ut- 

 ter a half-suppressed sound, which might be expressed by the letters Khee, 

 much in the same way as some some individuals of the human species 

 when placed under similar excitement. — Note by Mr M. 



