140 THE NATUEAL HISTOET OE 



East India Company, and constitutes the north-eastern 

 limits of their territory in this quarter. 



"The orang, of which I am now to speak, called 

 by the Assamese ( Hoolock/ is to be met with on the 

 Garrow Hills, in the vicinity of Goalpara, between 

 latitudes 25 and 28 north; and the specimens brought 

 to this country by me, were taken within a few miles 

 of the town of Goalpara. The full grown one, which 

 at this time you have prepared, was in my possession, 

 alive, from the month of January to May, when it 

 died from a blow it received across the lumbar region, 

 inadvertently inflicted with a small stick by one of 

 my servants at Calcutta. They inhabit more particu- 

 larly the lower hills, not being able to endure the cold 

 of those ranges of the Garrows of more than 4> or 500 

 feet elevation. Their food, in the wild state, consists, 

 for the most part, of fruits common only to the jungle 

 in this district of country ; and they are particularly 

 fond of the seeds and fruits of that sacred tree of India, 

 called the Peopul-tree, and which, on the Garrow 

 Hills, attains a very large size. They likewise take 

 of some species of grass, and also the tender twigs and 

 leaves of the Peopul and other trees, which they chew, 

 swallow the juice thereof, and reject the indigestible 

 part. They are easily tamed ; and when first taken 

 show no disposition to bite unless provoked to anger, 

 and even then manifest a reluctance to defend them- 

 selves, preferring to retreat into some corner rather 

 than attack their enemy. Thei T walk erect; and. 



