MONKEYS— AFFINITIES AND DISTRIBUTION 161 



moderate-sized trees, and opening out of this a larger 

 enclosure containing a few clumps of loftier trees. This 

 enclosure might be surrounded by a deep and wide trench 

 sloping inwards, from the outer margin of the bottom of 

 which would rise a wall or fence of a sufficient height, and 

 perfectly smooth inside, so as to be unclimbable by these 

 apes. Even if it were twelve feet high such a fence would 

 otfer no obstruction to the view, as the earth excavated 

 would form a bank on the outside, reaching nearly as high 

 as the top of the wall. Fruit trees, such as apples, crabs, 

 damsons, cherries, chestnuts, &c., would be suitable as 

 furnishing both food and exercise ; and on mild sunny days 

 throughout the year the orangs or chimpanzees would 

 spend most of their time out of doors, only coming into the 

 conservatory in very cold or wet weather. There seems no 

 reason why, under these more favourable conditions they 

 should not live to a fair old age. Each species should be 

 kept separate, and the experiment should be begun with 

 two or three young animals, whose association would be 

 another factor tending to health. The opportunities for 

 observation of the whole life-habits of these singular 

 animals would be of the greatest interest, and the 

 experiment would probably pay its cost as a public ex- 

 hibition. In Ceylon, Australia, or other warm countries 

 only an enclosed patch of woodland would be needed 

 surrounded by such an unclimbable fence, and with a few 

 shelters in which the animals might be fed ; but even in 

 England I feel sure that, with an arrangement such as I 

 have suggested, these most remarkable and interesting 

 creatures might be kept alive for many years, and might 

 even breed in confinement. 



The Gibbons. 



Another group of true apes inhabit Asia and the larger 

 Asiatic islands, and are in some respects the most remark- 

 able of the whole family. These are the Gibbons, or 

 long-armed apes forming the genus Hylobates, which are 

 generally of small size and of a gentle disposition, but 

 possessing the most wonderful agility. In these creatures 

 the arms are as long as the body and legs together, and 

 are so powerful that a gibbon will hang for hours sus- 



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