On the Natural History of the Malayan Peninsula. 395 
XLIX.—Observations on the Natural History of the Malayan 
Peninsula. By Capt. P. J. Beaprn, Madras Artillery. Com- 
municated by H. BE, Srrickianp, Esq. 
Durtine a recent exploration of the richly-furnished shelves of 
the Radcliffe Library at Oxford, I met with a small volume en- 
titled ‘The Malayan Peninsula, embracing the History, Man- 
ners and Customs of the Inhabitants, Politics, Natural History, 
&e.,’ by Capt. P. J. Begbie; printed at the Vepery Mission 
Press, 1834. As this volume is almost, if not entirely, unknown 
to British naturalists, and as the zoological observations appear 
to be made by a careful and original observer, they may perhaps 
be interesting to the readers of the ‘ Annals’, notwithstanding 
occasional inaccuracies in the scientific nomenclature.—H. E. 8. 
Begbie’s Malayan Peninsula, p. 497 et seq. 
The first species of the Ape tribe which is to be found in the 
peninsula is the Troglodytes niger of M. Desmarest*, and the 
Simia troglodytes of Linnzeust+, better known to English readers 
as the Chimpansé. 
This animal presents a striking similarity in external confor- 
mation to the human figure. It stands about three feet high, 
and is covered profusely with long black hair, that on the hind 
head and shoulders being considerably longer than the rest. The 
head rounded and skin of the face dark. The facial angle, or 
that formed by a line drawn from the forehead to the muzzle, 
and another from the muzzle to the bottom of the ear, is 50°. 
The Chimpansé is destitute of a tail, cheek-pouches, and inter- 
maxillary bones. The haunches are naked, but not callous. The 
arms reach nearly to the knees, so as to be nearly proportioned 
to the legs when the animal goes on all-fours. The hair on the 
fore-arm is reversed, pointing to the elbows instead of to the 
wrist. The hands and legs from the wrists and ankles are co- | 
vered with light brown hair, the terminal line of the black hair _ 
being well-defined, so as to give an appearance of white gloves 
and stockings. The face is encircled with a white beard, 
The Chimpansé is capable of receiving a considerable degree 
of education, and can make use of a stick to assist its steps. It 
is met with in troops of about 100 each, in various parts of the 
Malayan archipelago: those in the peninsula generally delight 
in the deep woods which clothe the sides of the various ranges 
of hills, and are extremely shy and difficult of access. It is very 
rarely that they are taken alive,—a circumstance perhaps to be 
* Stark's Elements of Natural: History, vol. i, p. 41. 
+ Turion’s System of Nature, vol. i. p. 10, 
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