i THE GIBBONS. 39 



comes greatly distended, diminishing again when 

 the creature relapses into silence. 



M. Duvaucel, likewise, affirms that the cry of 

 the Siamang may be heard for miles — making the 

 woods ring again. So Mr. Martin * describes the 

 cry of the agile Gibbon as " overpowering and 

 deafening ,: in a room, and " from its strength, 

 well calculated for resounding through the vast 

 forests." Mr. Waterhouse, an accomplished mu- 

 sician as w r ell as zoologist, says, " The Gibbon's 

 voice is certainly much more powerful than that 

 of any singer I ever heard." And yet it is to be 

 recollected that this animal is not half the height 

 of, and far less bulky in proportion than, a man. 



There is good testimony that various species 

 of Gibbon readily take to the erect posture. Mr. 

 George Bennett, f a very excellent observer, in de- 

 scribing the habits of a male Hyldbates syndactylus 

 which remained for some time in his possession, 

 says: "He invariably walks in the erect posture 

 when on a level surface; and then the arms either 

 hang down, enabling him to assist himself with his 

 knuckles; or what is more usual, he keeps his arms 

 uplifted in nearly an erect position, with the hands 

 pendent ready to seize a rope, and climb up on 

 the approach of danger or on the obtrusion of 

 strangers. He walks rather quick in the erect 

 posture, but with a waddling gait, and is soon run 



* Man and Monkics, p. 423. 



t Wanderings in New South Wales, vol. ii. chap. viii. 

 1834. 



