QUADRUMANA. 



The disgust or fear entertained by the Orang (at least, while young) 

 toward Tortoises is well known ; and it will be remembered that the 

 young Chimpanzee recoiled with horror from a large Snake introduced 

 into the room by way of experiment, and that Tortoises, also, were regarded 

 with aversion. The present Orang was not made the subject of a Snake 

 experiment, but was tried with a small Tortoise, at the sight of 

 which, as the animal crawled along, it stood aghast, in an attitude of 

 amazement ludicrously theatrical : nothing could induce it to pass the 

 crawling object of its distrust. It would appear, however, that familiarity 

 with the sight of Tortoises easily removed the apprehensions of the Orang ; 

 for, after this had seen a Tortoise a few times, it exhibited less and less 

 annoyance at the creature's presence. Whatever instinctive fear the Orang 

 or Chimpanzee may entertain toward the larger Snakes, or, indeed, Snakes 

 of any size, some of which are to be dreaded for their poison, it cannot 

 be imputed to such an instinct, that the Orang is amazed or alarmed at 

 the presence of a Tortoise, inasmuch as that creature is utterly incapable of 

 inflicting the slightest injury : the amazement of the young Orang must, 

 therefore, be attributed rather to the strange appearance of the animal, so 

 unlike that of any living thing which it had hitherto witnessed, a creature 

 of suspicious aspect, the qualities of which it had yet to prove, than to any 

 innate fear implanted as a preservative. It was a fear connected with in- 

 telligence, or intellect, rather than with instinct. A child would exhibit 

 the same kind of feeling. 



It is not many years since that the character, habits, and form of the 

 Orang, were among the desiderata of science. Ignorance and credulity 

 had invested it with faculties and intellects bordering upon those peculiar 

 to the human race : it was accounted but little lower than Man, and, like 

 him, capable of abstract ideas. The earlier travellers and voyagers had 

 filled their pages with descriptions teeming with the marvellous ; and men 

 of learning had indulged in the wildest speculations respecting its capabi- 

 lities of progressive refinement, and its affinity to our race. These puerile 

 fancies have all dispersed before true science ; and we now know that, 

 extraordinary as the Orang may be, compared with its fellows of the brute 

 creation, still in no respect does it trench upon the moral or mental pro- 

 vince of Man. 



To this account may be added, that the hinder thumbs were destitute 

 oftheungueal phalanx; its hair was long and thick, especially over the 

 back, the sides, and the outer aspect of the limbs. The general colour, 

 dark blackish chestnut. 



In the summer of 1838, the Zoological Society of London became 

 possessed of a young male, evidently in ill health : it died in the course 

 of a few weeks. In this specimen the hinder thumbs were also nail-less. 



A young specimen, at present (1840) living in the Gardens of the 



