THE ORAN OTAN. 45 



aboard, yet it was observed, he never would associate 

 with any of them, and, as if nothing akin to them, 

 would ahvays avoid their company. He used some- 

 times to wear cloths, and at length became very fond 

 of them. He often would put part of them on with- 

 out help, and carry the remainder in his hands to 

 some one of the ship's company for his assistance. 

 He would lie in bed, place his head on a pillow, and 

 pull up the bed-cloths to keep himself warm, exact- 

 ly as a man *. 



M. Vosmaer's account of the manners of an Oran 

 Otan, brought into Holland in the year 1776, and 

 lodged in the menagerie of the Prince of Orange, is 

 exceedingly curious. 



" This animal," says M. Vosmaer, *' was a fe- 

 male : its height was about two Rhenish feet and a 

 half. It shewed no symptoms of fierceness or ma- 

 lignity, and was even of a somewhat melancholy 

 appearance. , It was fond of being in company, and 

 shewed a preference to those who took daily care of 

 it, of which it seemed to be sensible. Often when 

 they retired, it would throw itself on the ground, 

 as if in despair, uttering lamentable cries, and tear- 

 ing in pieces the linen within its reach. Its keeper, 

 having sometimes been accustomed to sit near it on 

 the ground, it frequently took the hay of its bed, 

 and laid it by its side, and seemed by every demon- 

 stration, to invite him to be seated near. Its usual 

 manner of walking was on all fours, like other 



Anatomy of a Pi^;my, j . S. 



