MAMMALIA — ORANG OUTANG. 71 



or much pleased. Each of the jaws contains twelve teeth; namely, four 

 incisive teeth, the two middle ones of the upper jaw being twice the width 

 of the lateral ; tVv'o canine, and six molar teeth. The ears are small, closely 

 resembling the human ear, and have their lower margins in the same line 

 with the external angles of the eyes. 



" The chest is wide compared with the pelvis : the belly is very protube- 

 rant. The arms are long in proportion to the height of the animal. The 

 legs are short, compared with the arms. 



" The hands are long, compared with their width and with the human 

 hand. The fingers are small and tapering : the thumb is very short, scarce- 

 ly reaching the first joint of the fore finger. All the fingers have very 

 perfect nails, of a blackish color, and oval form, and exactly terminating 

 with the extremities of the fingers. The feet are long, and resemble 

 hands, in the palms, and in having fingers rather than toes, but have heels 

 resembling the human. The great toes are very short, are set on at right 

 angles to the feet close to the heel, and are entirely without nails. 



" The orang outang of Borneo, is utterly incapable of walking in a perfect- 

 ly erect posture. He betrays this in his whole exterior conformation, and 

 never voluntarily attempts to counteract its tendency. His head leaning 

 forward, and forming a considerable angle with the back, throws the centre 

 of gravity so far beyond the perpendicular, that his arms, like the fore legs 

 of other animals, are required to support the body. So difficult, indeed, is it 

 for him to keep the upright position for a few seconds, under the direction 

 of his keeper, that he is obliged, in the performance of his task, to raise his 

 arms above his head, and throw them behind him, to keep his balance. His 

 progressive motion on a flat surface is accomplished by placing his bent fists 

 upon the ground, and drawing his body between his arms : moving in this 

 manner, he strongly resembles a person decrepit in the legs, supported on 

 crutches. In a state of nature he probably seldom moves along the ground; 

 his whole external configuration showing his fitness for climbing trees, and 

 clinging to their branches. The length and pliability of his fingers and toes 

 enable him to grasp with facility and steadiness, and the force of his muscles 

 empowers him to support his body for a great length of time by one hand 

 or foot. He can thus pass from one fixed object to another, at the distance 

 of his span from each other, and can obviously pass from one branch of a 

 tree to another, through a much gi-eater interval. In sitting on a flat 

 surface, this animal turns his legs under him. In sitting on the branch 

 of a tree, or on a rope, he rests on his heels, his body leaning forward 

 against his thighs. This animal uses his hands like others of the mon- 

 key tribe." 



The individual described by Dr Abel, " on his arrival in Java from Bata- 

 via, was allowed to be entirely at liberty, till within a day or two of being 

 put on board the Caesar to be conveyed to England ; and whilst at large, 

 made no attempt to escape : but became violent when put into a large 



