234 ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



is their organization 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 

 inwards, and cannot be perfectly straightened. In the 

 attempt the skin gathers into thick folds on the back, 

 shewing that the full expansion of the foot, as is necessary 

 in walking, is unnatural. 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 organization. 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, 

 1. c. p. 384.) 



With respect to this last point Dr. Savage is very explicit 

 in another place : 



" Biting is their principal art of defence. I have seen 

 one man who had been thus severely wounded in the 

 feet. 



" The strong development of the canine teeth in the 

 adult would seem to indicate a carnivorous propensity ; 

 but in no state save that of domestication do they manifest 

 it. At first they reject flesh, but easily acquire a fondness 

 for it. The canines are early developed, and evidently 

 designed to act the important part of weapons of defence. 



