SIMIAD/E. 389 



present, the identity or non-identity of the Red Orang, and of the Black 

 Orang, it is necessary to clear up, in a summary manner, the difficulties 

 with which it has been environed. That the Simia Satyrus was identical 

 with the Pongo, appears first to have been suspected, and asserted, by 

 Cuvier : his opinion, however, was opposed by many naturalists ; and, 

 among others, by Dr. Harwood, who published a paper, in vol. xv. of the 

 Linncean Transactions, on the subject. There is, however, no longer any 

 doubt as to the correctness of Cuvier's opinion, which has been abundantly 

 substantiated by Professor Owen ; who, availing himself of favourable 

 opportunities, has set the matter at rest. (See paper on the " Osteology 

 of the Chimpanzee and Orang-utan," Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. i. 1835.) 



With respect to the specific identity of the Pongo Wufmbii, and the 

 Pongo Abellii, some difficulty still exists. Of the Sumatran Orang (P. 

 Abellii), the cabinets of Europe possess only adult female specimens, 

 and immature specimens both of the male and female, but not of the adult, 

 male ; but of the Bornean animal (P. Wurmbii), adult male specimens 

 enrich the Museums both of Leyden and Paris : there is, therefore, no 

 opportunity of comparing these with specimens of adult males from 

 Sumatra ; and it is only from a comparison of their crania that some 

 eminent naturalists have provisionally regarded the two animals as dis- 

 tinct, at the same time admitting that the differences in the character of 

 the skulls in question might depend upon sex or age, or be individual 

 variations ; for, as the skulls of the young confessedly differ so materially 

 from those of adults, so may a certain ratio of difference exist between 

 the skulls of the latter at various epochs of their mature condition, or 

 even characterize individuals specifically the same, inhabiting different 

 islands. Thus, according to Professor Owen, the cranium of the Bornean 

 Orang is distinguished by the more oblique plane of the orbits, whence 

 the line from the glabella to the incisor teeth is straight, instead of being 

 concave, as in the Sumatran animals; and the symphisis of the lower jaw 

 is proportionally deeper. 



More recently (1838) M. Dumortier has given attention to the present 

 subject at issue ; and, having the means of comparing together sixteen 

 skulls, of various 'ages, has thrown a new light upon it. His unpretending, 

 yet valuable paper, entitled, Notice sur les Modifications du Crane de 

 I 'Orang-outang, was published at Brussels, and presents us with a sum- 

 mary of the modifications which the cranium assumes through six succes- 

 sive stages, from infancy to old age. The result of his researches is, that 

 both the presumed species of Orang are one. The extent of this change 

 may be appreciated by reference to the following sketch (fig. 264), of 

 which the original unpublished drawing was obligingly communicated by 

 Professor Owen. This figure represents, at a single view, the variation 

 in the form of the skull, and in the development of the muzzle, which 



