SILVERY GIBBON. 



rry, for in its native state the Gi])bon is most noisy in tlic early mornings, — the 

 loud, strange cry being probably a call-note to its companions. Even in the 

 open air, this call-note is exceedingly loud, and can be heard at great 

 distances, so that when the animal is confined in a room and exerts 

 its voice, the ears of the bystandei*s suffer somewhat from its deafening 

 resonance. 



In themselves, the notes of this curious cry are rather musical than other- 

 wise, but they are uttered with such vigour, that they become painful to the 

 ears. 



To judge by the cry of the female Gibbon, it is quite a musical performance, 

 capable of being set to musical notes, and coming to an abrupt conclusion, by a 

 couple of barks in octaves. The animal achieves the chromatic scale admirably, 

 effecting the descent (no easy task even to the practised human vocalist) with a 

 precision and rapidity that renders the vocal gymnastics as remarkable as those of 

 the limbs. The note on which the creature began was E ; and starting from this 

 note, she began a scries of chromatics, first ascending to the upper octave, and 

 then descending in the same way, but always sounding the lower E almost 

 simultaneously with the upper note, whatever that note might be. Tliese musical 

 efforts seemed to excite the creature greatly, for her whole frame appeared stung 

 to a pitch of great intensity, her body dilated and quivered with excitement while 



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