Obfcrvatlons on the Orang Oidang. 34I 



rxlft in the greater part of animals to compenfate for others 

 which fhe may have rendered too prominent. But, indeed, 

 all the reft of the organifation of the ape of Wurmb an- 

 nounces a biped animal. Its pelvis is not completely paral- 

 lel to the fpine ; its os calcaneum has a flat part, upon which, 

 like man, it may find a folid feat ; and, in the laft place, 

 its arms have an immoderate length like thofe of the gibbon, 

 fince they reach almoft to the external malleolus. This laft 

 chara&erinng mark, to which no attention has hitherto 

 been paid, appears to me one of the fureft indications of a 

 biped walk. Apes muft take advantage of the great length 

 of their anterior extremities, by extending them in all di- 

 rections ; they muft make ufe of them as of a balancing pole 

 to keep themfelves in equilibrium, or to reftore themfelves to 

 it when they have been expofed to a fall which obliges them 

 to make only a gentle inclination of the body. 



In a word, a particular organifation reclines the difad- 

 vantages which refult, in walking erect, from the length of 

 the muzzle, and the pofition of the occipital foramen being 

 removed farther back. In all the known mammalia, the 

 fpinal apophyfes of the cervical vertebrae are fliorter than 

 thofe of the lumbar and dorfal vertebra?. The cafe is the re- 

 verfe in the ape of Wurmb ; and, according to the judicious 

 remark of Cuvier, thefe apophyfes of the cervical vertebra 

 have this great length, to form more powerful and more nu- 

 merous bonds with the large mufcles of the neck which pro- 

 ceed on the occipital ridges. Thus nature by another me- 

 chanifm has provided for the fupport of the head of Wurmb's 

 ape on the fpinal column ; and by thefe means it can keep 

 itfelf ereel, and run in that pofture. 



I (hall not purfue any farther an explanation of the cha- 

 racterifing marks which it exhibits to naturalifts. I have 

 faid enough to prove that it is not the orang out'ang or 

 pongo, but that it ought to be confidercd as a fpecies un- 

 known before the publication of Wurmb's memoir. I am 

 far from reproaching that obferver for his miftakc. At the 

 Z 3 time 



