I THE GIBBONS 33 



investigated by Professor Owen and by the late 

 Professor Duvernoy, of the Jardin des Plantes, 

 the latter having further supplied a valuable ac- 

 count of the muscular system and of many of the 

 other soft parts ; while African missionaries and 

 travellers have confirmed and expanded the ac- 

 count originally given of the habits of this great 

 man-like Ape, which has had the singular fortune 

 of being the first to be made known to the 

 general world and the last to be scientifically 

 investigated. 



Two centuries and a half have passed away 

 since Battell told his stories about the " greater " 

 and the " lesser monsters " to Purchas, and it has 

 taken nearly that time to arrive at the clear 

 result that there are four distinct kinds of 

 Anthropoids in Eastern Asia, the Gibbons and 

 the Orangs ; in Western Africa, the Chimpanzees 

 and the Gorilla. 



The man-like Apes, the history of the discovery 

 of which has just been detailed, have certain charac- 

 ters of structure and of distribution in common. 

 Thus they all have the same number of teeth as 

 man possessing four incisors, two canines, four 

 false molars, and six true molars in each jaw, or 

 32 teeth in all, in the adult condition ; while the 

 milk dentition consists of 20 teeth or four incisors, 

 two canines, and four molars in each jaw. They 

 are what are called catarrhine Apes that is, their 

 167 



