160 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



to the rain, and thus the necessity for greater protection than on 

 other portions of the body. 



Like other Apes, the Orang also has the habit of holding its hand 

 over its head to ward off rain. Some of the hairs are very long, 

 those on the shoulders and upper arm attaining a length of sixteen 

 to twenty inches. 



In the giant tree-tops this animal is at its best, revelling in its 

 arboreal home, and performing wonderful feats difficult of accom- 

 plishment. It can swing its way through the thick, impenetrable 

 forest with remarkable adroitness and ease, and its mobility has often 

 been commented upon by those who have had the good fortune to 

 watch it at work and play in its own native fastness. 



Fig. 120 shows the hands to advantage, ' and these, it will be 

 noticed, are very similar to those of the reader, excepting that the 

 fingers are longer and the thumb shorter. It is by means of these 

 long fingers that the Orang is able to secure a firm hold of the tree- 

 branches among which it lives. The feet are also of great assistance 

 in climbing, as the large toe is comparable to the thumb of the 

 human hand, and can be much distended, so that the beast can 

 obtain a sure grip of the trees among which it is traversing. 



The feet are decidedly hand-like in general form, and are of 

 immense aid to the Orang, not only in its progressive movements 

 in the tree-tops, but also in procuring food, for, having anchored its 

 body by means of them, it has its hands free, and can thus secure 

 fruit and leaves from pliant branches which it could not otherwise 

 reach, even although the arms are of great length. It is the 

 enormous arm-stretch which is of such assistance to this typical 

 arboreal mammal, for it is thus able to walk down branches in a 

 slanting direction. This would not be possible if its arms were no 

 longer than those of a man, for, "in consequence of the forward 

 displacement of the centre of gravity, it would be exposed to the 

 danger of falling like a Hare running downhill." 



Ungainly when upon the ground, it will at once be seen that 

 much exertion is necessary to proceed from tree to tree and to travel 

 any distance through the forest, and this means that the Orang must 

 be possessed of enormous strength. Thus we find that the arms are 

 the chief organs whereby locomotion is carried out, and that they 

 bear more powerful muscles than the hind-limbs. And although this 

 animal is only an adept in the tree-tops, and makes such a sorry 

 show when upon the ground, it is interesting to observe that Man 



