GAIT OF MONItEYS. HI 



gelioux ploy(is *." The description of the individual ob- 

 served by F. CuviER corroborates these observations : he 

 dimbed excellently, but walked as imperfectly. In the 

 latter operation, he rested his closed hands on the ground, 

 and dragged forwards his hind parts. If one hand was held, 

 he could walk on his feet : but then he supported himself 

 by resting the other hand on the ground. The outer edge 

 of the foot alone touched the ground ; and the toes were 

 bentf. This description will apply in all points to the 

 orang-utang brought from Batavia by Mr. Abel J ; and a 

 short observation of his customary attitudes and motions 

 will convince any one that he is not organized for biped 

 progression, nor capable of it, even for a short trial, without 

 a troublesome and painful effort. 



The bent knees and general attitude of the figure repre- 

 sented by Tyson, shew that the chimpanse is not a biped : 

 " Being weak," says the author, " the better to support 

 him I have given him a stick in his right-hand §." Several 

 passages shew that the animal often went on all-fours ; and 

 thus confirm the representation given by the Directors of 

 the Sierra-Leone Company 1| ; who say, in describing a 

 young one, that " at first he crawled on all-fours, always 

 walking on the outside of his hands; but, when grown 

 larger, he endeavoured to go erect, supporting himself by a 

 stick, which he carried in his hand." 



That the gibbon (S. Lar), another of the anthropo-mor- 

 phous simiifi, is not constructed for the erect attitude, ap- 

 pears from the testimony of Daubenton **. It could go 

 almost erect on the feet, but the legs and thighs were rather 

 bent ; and sometimes the hand touched the ground, to sup- 

 port the reeling body : it was unsteady, whenever it stopped 

 in an upright posture, the heel only resting on the ground, 

 and the sole being raised : it remained but a short time in 

 this attitude, which appeared unnatural. 



No instance has ever been produced of a monkey, nor 



* (Euvres, t. i. p. 60. f Annaks dii Museum., v. 16. p. 49. 



X Narrative of a Journey in China, p. 322, and following. 



4 P. 16. pi. 1. II P. 164. ** BuFFON, by Wood, v. 10. p. SO. 



