38 QUADRUMANA. 



ua, ua, ua, then the a becomes longer, the u shorter, till it sounds like 

 wa, and then the whole band join in the chorus. 



The long-armed apes soon become tame. Harlan possessed a Hulock 

 that, like the large apes already described, could sit at table, and learned 

 to drink from a cup like a man. It preferred a vegetable diet, but some- 

 times ale a bit of hsh or chicken. " When I paid him my morning visit, 

 he greeted me with a loud Wau, wau, wau ! repeated till he was quite 

 out of breath. He liked to be combed and brushed, and stretched out 

 first one arm, then another. He knew my voice and replied when I 

 called to him from a distance." 



The Gibbons arc seldom found in captivity, even in their native 

 country. They cannot bear the loss of freedom ; they pine away in 

 regret for their forest home and woodland sports, and become gradually 

 quieter and quieter, sadder and sadder, till death sets them free. 



IV.— GENUS SIAMANGA. 



The SlAMANG, Siamanga syiidactyla, differs in some considerable 

 respects from the preceding genus, and one of the most striking of 

 these is indicated by its name syiidactyla (Greek syn " together,'" dactylos 

 "a finger"). The iore and middle fingers of tlie posterior limbs are 

 united by a membrane, and its arms are shorter than those of the other 

 species. The low forehead presses down upon the eyebrows, the eyes 

 are deep-set, the nose flat, the nostrils large, the mouth enormous. 

 The air-sack, formed by loose folds of skin, consists of a double 

 pouch at the throat; it protrudes like a bird's crop, and swells when 

 the creature cries. A thick soft coat of deep black hair covers the 

 body ; the eyebrows, however, are of a reddish-brown. The hair 

 of the fore arm points upwards, that of the upper arm downwards, 

 just as in Man. The height of a full grown Sianiaug is about forty 

 inches, but it can span twice that length. It is a native of the thick 

 forests of Sumatra. 



According to Duveaucel, the Siamangs collect in numerous troops, 

 under the leadership of an experienced chief, and greet the sun, at its 

 rising and setting, with cries which are heard for several miles around. 

 They are not very nimble, but their sense of hearing is extremely acute ; 

 the moment they notice the slightest sound, they decamp without delay. 



