MAMMIFEROUS ANIMALS. 321 



And here we are of opinion it must be admitted, 

 that he falls very short of what might be expect- 

 ed from him, upon taking a hasty view of his 

 physical resemblance. For though he soon after 

 being captured, becomes docile arid tractable, 

 shews great affection towards those who treat 

 him with kindness, displays much cunning and 

 adroitness in every thing which regards himself, 

 and is very readily instructed in many of the 

 common actions belonging to our species, of 

 which we have given from Button some very 

 illustrative proofs; yet he betrays little of that 

 comprehensive intelligence and sagacity, which 

 alone can render the brute animal interesting, 

 and which, in so many instances, have nearly 

 placed the dog upon a footing with ourselves ; 

 at one time, the most amusing of companions, 

 at another, the sure and faithful defender of our 

 lives and properties. 



The actions of the Ouran: Outang are there- 

 fore to be attributed either to his imitative pow- 

 ers, of which he possesses a very extraordinary 

 share, or to his instinctive ones ; producing in 

 him that animal sagacity and cunning, which 

 lead to a variety of movements, rarely to be ob- 

 served in any other quadruped. 



I have formed this opinion, not only from my 

 own observations on the Ape tribes in general, 

 (of which the Ourang Outang may be considered 

 a variety,) but from the best accounts which I 



Y 



