Zoohgy. 371 



moving was in a stooping position, pushing himself along the ground with 

 his hands like to a cripple bent double. It is worthy of remark, that in 

 accelerating his motions in this manner, he always used the back of the 

 hand ; thus bending the wrist in a contrary direction to the human spe- 

 cies. 



*^ Anatomical subjects of the species iiimia Satyrus will now be a desi- 

 deratum, because the naturalists who have inspected the female subject 

 which I sent to Sir Stamford Raffles from Sumatra, have described it to be of a 

 different species to the animal already designated and described under the 

 genus Simia Satyrus or Orang-outang of Borneo * in Linnoeuss System. I 

 have not seen the paper myself, which has been read before the Society in 

 London in delineation of the specimen which I transmitted. But I be- 

 lieve one essential difference in the structure of the Sumatran animal which 

 distinguishes it from the Borneo specimens which have hitherto been sent 

 home for examination, is in the number of spinal bones being greater in 

 the Sumatran ape. The naturalists in England have described the Su- 

 matran animal f to be of a different species of Simia, which they allege Dr 

 Abel, in his description of the animal brought to Calcutta by Captain Corn- 

 foot, has erroneously classed with the orang-outang ef Borneo. What a 

 pity it is there is now so little prospect of obtaining another specimen of 

 this wonderful inhabitant of Sumatra. I do not see how the difference of 

 opinion can be set at rest without obtaining a perfect subject with all the 

 fleshy parts and viscera for examination. % If I meet with an opportunity 

 of returning to Bengal by the way of Sumatra, I shall certainly endeavour 

 to get up to the northern parts, and spare no trouble or expence to procure 

 another subject." 



A model of the Male Orang in the possession of Mr Swinton has been 

 sent by that gentleman to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



11. Sagacity of Elephants. — A few days before my arrival at Enon, 

 a troop of elephants came down one dark and rainy night, close to the 

 outskirts of the village. The missionaries heard them bellowing and 

 making an extraordinary noise for a long time at the upper end of 

 their orchard ; but knowing well how dangerous it is to encounter these 

 powerful animals in the night, they kept close within their houses till 

 day-light. Next morning, on examining the spot where they had 

 heard the elephants, they discovered the cause of all this nocturnal up- 

 roar. There was at this spot a ditch or trench, about four or five feet 

 in width, and nearly fourteen feet in depth, which the industrious mis- 

 sionaries had recently cut through the bank of the river, on purpose to 

 lead out the water to irrigate some part of their garden ground, and to drive 

 a corn mill. Into this trench, which was still unfinished and without 



• This is the one already alluded to in some of my former letters. She was about 

 five feet high, and was killed near the same place where the great male described by 

 Dr Abel was found.— G. S. 



f Only the hand, foot, and lower jaw and skin brought to Calcutta G. S. 



X I have given a commission to the Captain of a vessel trading with Sumatra to 

 endeavour to get one dead or alive.— G. S. 



