THE SIAMANG. 



SKfl.L OF ORANO 

 OUTAN. 



and if the reader will refer to the accompanying sketch of the skull, he may form an 

 opinion of the nature that belonged to the animal that owned such a skull. It is 

 almost totally animal in character ; there is hardly any space for the brain ; the 

 head is surmounted with heavy ridges of bone, showing the great 

 strength of the muscles that are attached to them ; the lower part of 

 the face and jaws projects greatly, and, in fine, the skull is almost 

 wholly made up of face, jaws, and bony ridges. The teeth, too, are 

 very formidable. 



The hair of the Orang outang is of a reddish chestnut hue, deepening 

 here and there into brown. The texture of the hair is coarse, and its 

 length varies according to the part of the body on which it is placed. 

 Over the face, back, breast, shoulders, and arms, it falls in thick pro- 

 fusion, becoming especially long at the elbow-joint, where the hairs of the upper and 

 fore-arm meet. The face is partly covered with a beard, which seems to increase in 

 size as the animal grows older. The hair of the face takes a lighter tinge of red than 

 that of the body, and merges the red or auburn tint in the brown, on the inside of the 

 limbs. 



At a little distance, the face appears to be black ; but if examined closely is found 

 to present a bluish tint. 



The Mias-kassar is similar to the Mias-pappan in general appearance, and color of 

 hair ; but is evidently a different species from the Pappan, and not the young of that 

 animal. Of this ape, Sir J. Brooke says, that it is " a small, slight animal ; by no means 

 formidable in its appearance ; with hands and feet proportioned to the body. They 

 do not approach the gigantic extremities of the Pappan either in size or power ; and, 

 in short, a moderately strong man could readily overpower one ; when he would not 

 stand a shadow of a chance with the Pappan." 



The height of a full-grown Pappan does not seem to be quite so great as has been 

 supposed. Credible informants, however, tell us that they usually grow to the height 

 of five feet, or even more, which, taking into consideration the extreme length of the 

 arms, and the general muscular development, gives us a very large ape indeed. Sir J. 

 Brooke was deceived into the belief that one of these animals which he killed was 

 nearly six feet in stature ; but was surprised to find when the animal was dead that 

 the height was very much overrated. 



Many of the quadrumanous animals, among which are the large apes, the siamang, 

 many of the tailed monkeys, and the baboons, are furnished with a singular appendage 

 to the throat, which has been carefully investigated by M. Vrolik. This appendage 

 consists of a pouch, varying in form and size, which is connected with the lungs by an 

 opening into the windpipe, and can be dilated with air at the pleasure of the animal. 



The result of his researches is, that the air-pouch is not connected with the voice ; 

 but that it is intended to reduce the specific gravity of the animal, and to assist it in 

 climbing or leaping. The pouch is not a mere hollow sac; but is furnished with 

 many subordinate receptacles, something like a badly made glove, with three or 

 four adcliti nal fingers or thumbs. These prolongations lie between the muscles of 

 the throat. Th^y are larger in the male than in the other sex, and increase together 

 with the growth of the animal. In the Orang-outang, these pouches are very largely 

 developed ; much more so than in the chimpanzee. The Siamang possesses them of a 

 large size, while the gibbons are without them. 



The generic name Simia, which is applied to these apes, and which serves to dis- 

 tinguish the entire family, is derived from the Greek word Simos, signifying " flat- 

 nosed." 



THE SIAMANG. 



THE accounts of this ape vary extremely. Some authors pronounce the Siamang 

 to be a dull and stupid animal, caring not to distinguish between friends and foes ; never 



