SIMIAM. 381 



times it would cry like a pettish child, and scratch itself with great vehe- 

 mence. It expressed satisfaction, especially on receiving sweetmeats, by 

 a sound like hem ! in a grave tone ; but it seemed to have little variety in 

 its voice. In warm latitudes it was active and cheerful, but became 

 languid as it receded from the torrid zone ; and, on approaching our 

 shores, it shewed a desire to have a warm covering, and would roll itself 

 carefully up in a blanket when it retired to rest. It generally walked on 

 all fours ; and it was particularly remarked, that it never placed the palm 

 of the hands of its fore extremities to the ground ; but, closing its fists, 

 rested on the knuckles : a circumstance also noticed by Tyson. This 

 animal did not seem fond of the erect posture, which it rarely affected ; 

 though it could run nimbly on two feet, for a short distance. In this case, 

 it appeared to aid the motions of its legs by grasping the thighs with its 

 hands. It had great strength in the four fingers of its superior extremity ; 

 for it would often swing by them on a rope upwards of an hour, without 

 intermission. It ate readily every sort of vegetable food ; but, at first, 

 did not appear to relish flesh, though it seemed to take pleasure in 

 sucking the leg-bone of a fowl. At that time it did not relish wine ; but 

 afterwards seemed to like it, though it never could endure ardent spirits. 

 It once stole a bottle of wine, which it uncorked with its teeth, and began 

 to drink. It shewed a predilection for coffee, and was immoderately fond 

 of sweet articles of food. It learned to feed itself with a spoon, to drink 

 out of a glass, and shewed a general disposition to imitate the actions of 

 Men. It was attracted by bright metals ; seemed to take pride in cloth- 

 ing, and often put a cocked-hat on its head. It was dirty in its habits, 

 and never was known to wash itself. It was afraid of fire-arms, and, on 

 the whole, appeared a timid animal." Memoirs of the Wernerian Nat. 

 Hist. Society, vol. iii. p. 4, et seq. 



The fourth specimen was brought from the Gold Coast, in 1819. The 

 fifth, from the neighbourhood of the River Gambia, in 1832. Both these 

 became the property of Mr. Cross ; the former died very shortly after its 

 arrival at Exeter Change ; the latter, which was a male, also died after a 

 short residence in our uncongenial climate. 



In the fifth volume of the Magazine of Natural History, p. 305, et 

 seq., will be found an account, by Mr. Warwick, of this individual, and 

 also of a female Orang-outan, its companion in captivity. 



The sixth specimen, and the most interesting of all, is the one already 

 alluded to as having lived in the menagerie of the Zoological Society. It 

 reached our shores in good health, in September, 1835; and, for some 

 months, continued in so favourable a state as to lead to the hope that it 

 would prove an exception to its predecessors, and, by escaping their 

 early fate, enable the scientific world to form a correct and thorough 

 estimate of the capabilities, manners, and instincts of its species. These 



