13 



The Autliivpoul Apes, which more or less resemble man, may 

 he roughly grouped, on the one hand into the Gibbons ; and on the 

 other into the Chimpanzee, the Orang, and the Gorilla. The 

 Gibbons inhabit Southern Asia and the Indian Archipelago. The 

 first feature in them lliat strikes one is the disproportionate length of 

 the arms to the legs. This great length of arms is related to their 

 mode of life in trees, for by their arms they are enabled to swing 

 to a distance of thirty feet from one tree to another. They walk 

 upon their legs, and balance themselves with their arms. In early 

 geological times Gibbons extended into Europe as far as France. 



The Orang is one of the largest Apes, inhabiting Borneo and 

 Sumatra. Its movements are slow and lethargic, very different 

 from those of the Gibbon. In a state of nature the Oraug is a 

 vegetable feeder. "With regard to its intelligence, it seems to be ou 

 a very much lower level than the human idiot. 



The Chimpanzee has a well-marked opposable thumb on the 

 foot ; that on the hand is less distinct. It has a high degree of 

 intelligence, and in this respect is above the (Jrang. It is intel- 

 lectually on the level of the idiot. It rarely walks on its legs. 



The Gorilla leads nearly the same kind of existence as tlie 

 Chimpanzee. In the young Gorilla the proportions of the skull 

 appear more like those of the human skull than in the adult. 

 The Gorilla almost as often goes upon its hind legs alone as it does, 

 upon all-fours. It uses its arms in self-defence. 



The fact that the thumb of the Anthropoid Apes is becoming 

 su\aller, suggests that their ancestors had opposable thumbs. The 

 organs of voice are the same in the Anthropoid Apes as in man ;. 

 tliev appear to be perfect, but are not used in speech ; and one 

 would be inclined to conclude that these Apes had degenerated 

 from a liigher form of ancestor who had made some advance-, 

 towards vocalisation. 



