60 TITE MAN-LIKE APES 1 



"When at rest the sitting posture is that generally assumed. 

 They are sometimes seen standing and walking, but when thus 

 detected, they immediately take to all fours, and flee from the 

 presence of the observer. Such is their organisation that they 

 cannot stand erect, but lean forward. Hence they are seen, 

 when standing, with the hands clasped over the occiput, or the 

 lumbar region, which would seem necessary to balance or ease 

 of posture. 



"The toes of the adult are strongly flexed and turned in- 

 wards, and cannot be perfectly straightened. In the attempt 

 the skin gathers into thick folds on the back, showing that the 

 full expansion of the foot, as is necessary in walking, is un- 

 natural. The natural position is on all fours, the body anteriorly 

 resting upon the knuckles. These are greatly enlarged, with 

 the skin protuberant and thickened like the sole of the foot. 



"They are expert climbers, as one would suppose from their 

 organisation. In their gambols they swing from limb to limb 

 to a great distance, and leap with astonishing agility. It is not 

 unusual to see the * old folks ' (in the language of an observer) 

 sitting under a tree regaling themselves with fruit and friendly 

 chat, while their 'children' are leaping around them, and 

 swinging from tree to tree with boisterous merriment. 



"As seen here, they cannot be called gregarious, seldom 

 more than five, or ten at most, being found together. It has 

 been said, on good authority, that they occasionally assemble 

 in large numbers, in gambols. My informant asserts that he 

 saw once not less than fifty so engaged ; hooting, screaming, 

 and drumming with sticks upon old logs, which is done in the 

 latter case with equal facility by the four extremities. They do 

 not appear ever to act on the offensive, and seldom, if ever 

 really, on the defensive. When about to be captured, they 

 resist by throwing their arms about their opponent, and 

 attempting to draw him into contact with their teeth." (Savage, 

 I.e. p. 384.) 



With respect to this last point Dr. Savage is 

 very explicit in another place : 



