THE GIBBONS 59 



manner already mentioned. According, however, to Mr. Wallace, in his Malay 

 Archipelago, the siamang is decidedly slower in its movements than the other 

 gibbons, not taking such tremendously long leaps, and keeping at a lower elevation 

 in the trees. The extraordinary relative length of its arms is well indicated in the 

 description by the same writer, who observes that in an individual about three feet 

 in height, they measure five feet six inches from hand to hand, when stretched out 

 at right angles to the body. A young siamang brought to Mr. Wallace, was at 

 first somewhat savage, but soon became more amenable to discipline, feeding readily 

 on rice and fruits. This individual, which Mr. Wallace had intended to transport 

 to England, did not, however, long survive in captivity. And it appears that the 

 Malays, who are stated to be adepts in keeping and taming wild animals, find it 

 exceedingly difficult to keep siamangs for any length of time. Siamangs have been 

 exhibited alive in the Zoological Gardens at Calcutta. In disposition they are 

 regarded by the Malays as stupid and dull. Mr. Wallace considers that this species 

 is found in the Malay Peninsula, but this is doubted by Mr. Blanford ; and it 

 appears, according to Mr. Wallace, to be but little known, even in Singapore, where 

 the captive specimen, already mentioned, attracted a considerable amount of atten- 

 tion. 



A white siamang is recorded by Sir Stamford Raffles as having been obtained by 

 him in Sumatra. 



THE WHITE-HANDED GIBBON {Hylobates lar) 



We may take as our first example of the more typical species of the group, 

 all of which are very closely allied, the white-handed gibbon, represented in the 

 figure on p. 56. This species, like all the other typical gibbons, is considerably 

 smaller than the siamang, standing about thirty inches in height ; and it is also 

 of a lighter and more slender build. Although subject to great individual variation 

 in color, it may be always recognized by the pale color of the hands and feet, of 

 which the upper surfaces are usually either white or yellowish-white. Another 

 distinctive characteristic is to be found in the usual presence round the black skin 

 of the naked face of a complete ring of more or less nearly white hairs ; which, as 

 is well shown in our illustration, imparts a most peculiar physiognomy to the 

 animal. Occasionally, however, this white ring is almost absent; different indi- 

 viduals showing a gradation in this respect from those in which it is but very 

 slightly developed, to those in which it attains its full proportions. The general 

 color of the body and limbs of this gibbon varies from a full black, through various 

 fulvous shades, to a yellowish-white. In opposition to what usually obtains in 

 Mammals some individuals of this species have the back lighter than the under 

 parts of the body ; and it may occasionally be much variegated. 



The white-handed gibbon is found throughout the Malay Peninsula, as far 

 north as the province of Tenasserim, and may possibly reach into Lower Pegu. It 

 inhabits the forests skirting the mountains, at elevations varying from about three 

 thousand to three thousand five hundred feet above the sea level. 



