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



He is a good natured animal, soon becomes familiar, and, 

 to those who treat him kindly, affectionate. His activity and 

 quickness might give a stranger a different impression, especi- 

 ally if the creature, as he is apt to do, came up suddenly, 

 grasping him by the leg or arm, or climbing into his lap. On 

 such occasions he makes a show of biting, but it is a mere 

 make-believe kind of playful movement. He will unhesitat- 

 ingly lay hold of any part of one's clothes with his teeth,* and 

 tear it if he can ; but this I believe is caused by his curiosity, for 

 he rarely proceeds further; and if a finger is put into his mouth, 

 he will not bite it, although perhaps he would if irritated. 



He evidently possesses an insatiable fund of curiosity, and 

 examines every thing that comes in his way. No matter what 

 the article may be, he turns it about in his fingers, smells it, 

 and tries if it is eatable. In examining any thing he is seldom 

 or never satisfied with the sense of manual touch. He first 

 fingers it, then feels it with his lips, mumbling it about per- 

 haps for a few seconds, and finally he tears it with his teeth. 

 This he will do with a bit of wood or charcoal, a straw, or piece 

 of paper. His teeth indeed appear, to be the decisive test to 

 which every thing is submitted ; and this is the reason, I pre- 

 sume, of his being so apt to make free with a corner of one's 

 dress, which he does, however, in a very good-humoured way, 

 being merely anxious, as it were, to find out what kind of tex- 

 ture it is ; and if he should manage to make a small hole with 



wards appeared to derive great satisfaction from picking the bones. She 

 was also uncommonly fond of sugar and eggs, which she was in the habit 

 of pilfering whenever she could get loose. The ornng in Mr Swinton's 

 possession was also very fond of eggs ; but taking advantage of this par- 

 tiality, I once made them the vehicle of administering calomel and castor 

 oil to him, when he was unwell, and refused almost every kind of food. 

 Since then I understand he will not touch an egg, thus overcoming a taste 

 for an article, which in his natural state must form a principal part of his 

 food. — Note by Mr M. 



* It is difficult to say from what motive he is so fond of doing this ; but 

 the effect no doubt is to tear what he lays hold of. He is sometimes not 

 very nice in his discrimination between the cloth and the person's skin, 

 so that he now and then bites one unintentionally, but never severely. 

 An angry word makes him quit his hold. He is certainly, upon the whole, 

 of a mild and timid disposition. — J. G. 



