Dr. C. Abel o?i the Sumatran Orang Outang. 213 



verifying the accuracy of the above calculations. Venus is at 

 this time approaching very near the point of her greatest elon- 

 gation, and will pass the meridian about 32 minutes before 

 the time of visible conjunction, at an altitude of about 16° 51' 

 above tiie horizon of Greenwich. Yours truly, 



Epping, Jan. 6th, 1827. Thomas Souire. 



XLIV. Some Account of an OrangOutang of remarkable Height 

 found on the Isla7ul of Sumatra ; together ivith a Description 

 of certain Remains of this Animal, preseiitcd to the Asiatic 

 Society hy Capt. Cornfoot, and at present contained in 

 its Musenm. Bif Clarke Abel, M.D. F.R.S. <$'C. i$-c., and 

 Member of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta^. 



T N the paper which I had the honour of reading to the Asiatic 

 * Society on the evening of the 5th of January last, I endea- 

 voured to be as comprehensive as possible, in relation to the 

 published histories of large man-like apes, and to the many spe- 

 culations of philosophers respecting them ; and in order the 

 better to accomplish my purpose, I divided my subject under 

 the following heads : First, I gave an account of what parti- 

 culars I had been able to collect of the circumstances which 

 attended the capture of the Sumatran animal : Secondly, I gave 

 the amplest description in my power, of its different remains, 

 as they were before the Society: Thirdly, I adduced a de- 

 scription of Wurmb's animal, as described in the Batavian 

 Transactions, for the purpose of showing its identity with the 

 Sumatran Orang Outang : Fourthly, I brought forward a de- 

 scription of the small Orang Outang of Borneo, for the pur- 

 pose of showing its relationship to the two former animals, 

 and for the better examining the opinion of the Baron Cuvier, 

 that it is only the young one of Wurmb's, and consequently 

 of the Sumatran animal : and lastly, I quoted some notices of 

 very large man-like apes contained in the works of the older 

 travellers, and attempted to determine to which of these the 

 Sumatran Orang should be referred. The essay which I read 

 to the Society was prepared in haste, and Irom imperfect 

 materials ; and although it might, perhaps, be suited to its 

 principal object, that of exciting inquiry, it was certainly 

 unfit for publication. For this reason, and because those 

 who are likely to be chiefly interested in this communication 

 will be better satisfled with facts than opinions, I shall at pre- 

 sent limit myself to an account of those particulars of the ap- 

 pearance oi' the animal when alive which are best aulhenti- 



• Kroni the Asiatic Ktseanlici, vol. xv. p IS!). 



cateil, 



