OURANG-OUTANG. 



recognises and obeys his keeper, and is capable of learning certain; 

 exercises. 



106. The increasing degree of intelligence ascending from the 

 Carnivora to the Q,uadrumana was clearly established by the 

 observations of Cuvier, who found that in accordance with his 

 system, the ourang-outang, of all mammifers, manifested the 

 highest degree of intelligence. 



107. A young ourang-outang, of the age of fifteen or sixteen 

 months, was an especial object of observation and experiment. 

 He showed the greatest desire for society, manifesting the 

 strongest attachment for those who had charge of him. He loved 

 to be caressed by them, and used not only to embrace, but even 

 to kiss them. He pouted like a child when not allowed to have 

 his way, and testified his vexation by cries, rolling himself on 

 the ground, and striking his head upon it, so as to excite compas- 

 sion by hurting himself. 



This animal used to amuse itself by climbing up the trees in 

 the Garden of Plants, and perching on their branches. It hap- 

 pened one day, that the keeper attempted to climb the tree to 

 catch it. The ourang-outang immediately shook the tree with 

 all its force, so as to deter the keeper from mounting it. The 

 keeper then retired, and after an interval returned, approaching 

 the tree, when the ourang-outang again set itself to shake the 

 branches. "In whatever manner," says Cuvier, "this conduct 

 may be viewed, it will be impossible not to see in it a combination 

 of ideas, and to recognise in the animal capable of it the faculty 

 of generalisation." 



In fact, the ourang-outang in this case evidently reasoned by 

 analogy from himself to others. He had already experienced the 

 alarm excited in his own mind by the violent agitation of the 

 bodies on which he was supported. He argued, therefore, from 

 the fear which he felt himself to the fear which others would 

 suffer in like circumstances. In other words, as Cuvier justly 

 observes, he erected a general rule upon the basis of a particular 

 circumstance. 



This animal being one day shut up alone in a room, it 

 availed itself of a chair which happened to be placed at the door, 

 upon which it mounted to reach the latch. To prevent this 

 manoeuvre the keeper removed the chair ; but the animal, when he 

 had departed, seized another chair which was at a distance from 

 the door, and placing it under the latch, mounted upon it in like 

 manner. 



In this case we find all the indications of memory, judgment, 

 generalisation, and reasoning. The case is totally different from 

 those so frequently witnessed in the case of animals trained for 



159 



