FACTS ABOUT THE ORANG-UTAN. 405 



faii-ly to the heel, so as to give the height of the animal if it stood 

 perfectly erect ; the extent of the outstretched arms from 7 feet 2 

 inches to 7 feet 8 inches ; and the "W'idth of the face from 10 inches 

 to 13^ inches. The dimensions of other naturaUsts closely agree 

 with mine. The largest orang measured by Temminck was four 

 feet high. Of twenty-five sj^ecimens collected by Schlegel and 

 Miiller, the largest old male was 4 feet 1 inch, and the largest 

 skeleton in the Calcutta Museum Avas, according to Blyth, 4 feet 1^ 

 inch ; and no specimen has yet reached Eui'ope exceeding these 

 dimensions, although the total number must amount to over a 

 hundred. On the whole, therefore," concludes IVIr. Wallace, " I 

 think it will be allowed that up to this time we have not the 

 least reliable evidence of the existence of orangs in Borneo more 

 than 4 feet 2 inches high." 



The total number of specimens of the orang-utan of both spe- 

 cies, killed by me and my hunters, was forty-three, every one of 

 which I carefully measured while fresh, recording each measure- 

 ment the moment it was made. I saved the skin of every one of 

 these specimens, and the skeletons of all save three or four of the 

 very youngest ones. 



No fewer than seven of my specimens exceeded the maximum 

 height for orangs as given by JVIi-. Wallace, viz., 4 feet 2 inches, 

 even by the most hberal measurement. My tallest Simia Wurmbii^ 

 or " mias chappin," measured 4 feet 6 inches from head to heel, 

 and the next in size 4 feet 5^ inches. Then a aatyrus, or " mias 

 rombi," measured 4 feet 4^^ inches, two other Wurmbii, 4 feet 4 

 inches, and 4 feet 3 inches resj^ectively, a satyrus, 4 feet 3 inches, 

 and a Wurmbii, 4 feet 2|- inches. Only one specimen measured 

 exactly 4 feet 2 inches, and the remaining nine fell below that 

 height. One male specimen, with hair which grew to a length of 

 12 to 15 inches, in some places, measured only 3 feet 10^ inches in 

 height. The largest female measured 4 feet, and the smallest adult 

 female 3 feet G inches. 



These measurements were a great surprise to me, and, feeling 

 that their accuracy might some time be questioned, I made and re- 

 corded them vdth unusual care and exactness. To obtain the height 

 it was my practice to lay the animal upon its back with the legs 

 held straight by an assistant, then holding the blade of a lai'ge knife 

 flat against the top of the head, it was thrust perpendicularly into 

 the table or the earth. Then, while an assistant held the top of the 

 head against the first knife-blade, I pressed another blade firmly 



