OnBEK 2. 



QUADRU]SIANA. 



43 



The Ourang-outang* (Simla sati/rui, Lin.) 



Of all animals, this is reputed to bear the nearest resemblance to Man in the form of its head, the magnitude of 

 its forehead, and volume of brain ; but the exagi^erated descriptions of some authors respecting this similarity 

 arise partly from the circumstance of only young individuals having been observed, as there is every reason to 

 believe that, with age, the muzzle becomes m.uch more prominent [a fact now ascertained]. The body is covered 

 Avith coarse red hair, the face is bluish, and the hinder thumbs very short compared with the toes. The lips are 

 capable of a singular elongationf, and possess great mobility. Its history has been nmch confounded with that 

 of the other large Apes, and especially of the Chimpanzee; but, after subjecting it to a rigorous analysis, I have 

 ascertained that it inhabits only the most eastern countries, such as JIalacca, Cochin China, and particularly the 

 great island of Borneo, whence it has been sometimes brought by the route of Java, though very rarely. When 

 yoimg, and such as it has been seen in Europe, it is a very mild animal, that is easily rendered tame and attached, 

 and whicli, by its conformation, is enabled to imitate many of our actions ; but its intelligence appears to bo 

 lower than has been asserted, not very much surpassing that of the Dog. Camper discovered, and has well dis- 

 cribed, two membranous sacs which communicate with the glottis of this animal, and obstruct its voice ; but 

 he is mistaken in supposing that the nails are always absent from the hinder thumbs. 



There is an ape in Borneo, at present only known by its skeleton, called the Pongo, which so closely resembles 

 the Ourang-outang in all its parts, and by the arrangement of the cavities and sutures of its head, that notwith- 

 standing the great prominence of its muzzle, the smallness of the cranium, and the height of the branches of the 

 lower javv, we are inclined to consider as an adult, if not of this species of Ourang, at least of another very nearly 

 allied to it. The length ot its arms, and of the apophyses of its cervical vertebra;, together with the tuberosity of 

 its calcaneum, may enable it to assume the vertical position. It is the largest of known Apes, approaching to the 

 size of Man. 



[The Pongo has proved to be a second species of Ourang, covered with black, relieved with dark red hair, and which 

 at present is known only to occur in Borneo, where the RedOurang has not been ascertained to exist. Both attain 

 the same large dimensions, and are distinguished as the Pithecus Wormhii and P. Abelii, Tliey differ somewhat 

 in the configuration of the cranium, and considerably in the profile of the face, as seen in the skull. A third 

 species, also from Borneo, has more recently been determined by Prof. Owen, of which only a single adult skull has 

 been received ; it announces a smaller animal, which has been named P. morio. Tlie adult males of this genus 

 have an immense projecting tuberosity on each cheek. $ 



These Ourangs do not ordinarily assume the upright attitude, to maintain whicli they are obliged to raise, and 

 throw their long arms backward, in order to preserve a balance ; the outer edges only of their feet are applied to the 

 ground, where they commonly progress by resting on the knuckles, and swinging the body forward between tiie 

 arms. Tlieir structure is more designed for traversing the forest boughs ; and they are said to inhabit the ilpland 

 forests of the interior of their native countries. The old males are reported to be savage and solitary, and much 

 dreaded by the Alfourou inhabitants of their native region ; each appropriating a particular district, into whicli 

 it resents intrusion. There is reason to suspect that they are not exclusively vegetable feeders, but subsist 

 in part on the eggs and callow young of birds. They are sedentary and inactive animals, possessed of great 

 strength. 



So excessive is the degradation of the adult from the characters which it exhibits in youth, that our author, 

 in his first edition, arranged the Pongo next to the Baboons, allowing them the precedence. According 

 to M. Geoflroy, " the brain of the young Ourang bears a very close resemblance to that of a child ; and the 

 skull, also, might be taken, at an early age, for that of the latter, were it not for the developement of the bones 

 of the face. But it happens, in consequence of its advance in age, that the brain ceases to enlarge, while its case 

 continually increases. The latter becomes thickened, but in an imequal degree ; enormous bony ridges appear, 

 and the animal assumes a frightful aspect. AVhen we compare the effects of age in Man and the Ourang, the difference 

 is seen to be, that in the latter there is a super-developement of the osseous, muscular, and tegumentary systems, 

 more towards the upper part than the lower, while the developement of the brain is entirely arrested." It is only 

 in the male sex, however, that the cranial ridges appear, the canines, also, of the females being much smaller. 

 M. Geoffroy thus describes the skull of the Pongo, before its identity as an Ourang had been ascertained :— 

 "What is most remarkable," he observes, "is the excessive elongation of the muzzle; and as this con- 

 siderable volume of the muzzle cannot be gained but at the expence of the other adjoining parts, we accord- 

 ingly find that there is scarcely any apparent forehead, that the bony box which contains the brain is 

 uncommonly small, and that the occipital foramen is situated as far as the posterior part of the head. The 

 immense muzzle, moreover, is remarkable, not only for the enormous thickness of the gums, but also for the 

 extraordinary size of the canine and incisor teeth with which they are provided ; the incisors exceed in 

 magnitude those of a Lion, and the canines do not differ much in dimensions from those of the same 

 animal: the occiput also is elevated at its point, and forms a quadrilateral protuberance, very large and 

 thick, where three bony crests are produced, not less apparent nor less solid than those of the Lion. Two of 



• Ourang is a Malay word, signifying rational lehig, wliicli is 

 applied to Man, the Ourang-outang, and the Elcpljant. Otttatig 

 siguifits tcilil, or of tlie woods: hence Ourang-outang. 



i Noticeable, to a certain extent, in the Hottentot race of man- 

 liiiil— Kd. 



t There is at present (183S) a joung male and female of the Clack 



Ourang (P. IFormbii), in the menagerie of the Zoological Society, 

 which have continued now for i;everal months in a very thriving con- 

 dition, and afford reasonable grounds for expectation that they will 

 live to attain maturity. Most of those previously imported have been 

 wcalt and Bickly,— Ed. 



