SEMNOPITHECUS MAURUS. 



The Cimepaye of M. Fred. Cuvier, the Simpai of the Malays, was first com- 

 municated to the Public by Sir Stamford Raffles, in his Descriptive Catalogue 

 of a Zoological Collection made in the Island of Sumatra, under the name of 

 Simia melalophos, &;c. This Catalogue further contains two other new animals of 

 this order, the Chingkau of the Malays — Simia cristata. Raff.; and the Kra of 

 the Malays — Simia fascicularis, Baff.; which correspond precisely in characters to 

 the Simia melalophos. The genus Semnopithecus, defined by M. Cuvier, as far 

 as it is known at present, consists of the three animals above mentioned — of the 

 Cercopithecus maurus, the Cercopithecus EnteUus, (Dufr.) and of another species, 

 which has been added to the Museum of the Honourable Company from Java. 



The name of Semnopithecus is applied to this genus by M. F'red. Cuvier, in 

 consequence of the grave and serious character of the animals which compose it. 

 With this character the Semnopitheci combine a peculiar system of dentition, which 

 is described and illustrated by a figure in the work above mentioned. From the 

 materials deposited in the Museum at the India House, I have prepared the following- 

 details, descriptive of the characters of the Semnopithecus maurus, as observed 

 in Java. 



It should first be observed, that the new genus which has been established by 

 M. Frdd. Cuvier, should be placed, according to his views, in the order of Quadru- 

 mana, between the Gibbons and the Guenons, or between the genus Hylobates of 

 lUiger, and Cercopithecus, as defined at present. The comparisons which I have 

 been enabled to make of the skulls of various Semnopitheci and of Gibbons, tend to 

 confirm the propriety of this disposition. The skull of the Semnopithecus maurus 

 in particular, has the same form as that of the adult Simia syndactyla, (Raff.) — 

 the Gibbon fi-om Sumatra; which was described in the last Number of these 

 Researches. It is oblong, increasing in breadth posteriorly; the orbits advance 

 greatly in firont, and form a short tube surrounding the eye. The temporal ridges, 

 although they do not project far from the surface of the skuU, shew themselves in a 

 slight eminence, arising from the orbital margin, and pursuing, parallel to each 

 other, a longitudinal course towards the occiput. The abrupt termination of the 

 posterior part of the skull is similar in the Semnopitheci that I have examined, and 

 in the Gibbon ; but the muzzle in our genus is proportionally shorter than in 

 Hylobates. 



The teeth present the following particulars: — the front teeth, in the upper 

 jaw, are very regularly disposed ; the intermediate teeth are broad, with an uniform 

 edge ; the lateral teeth are narrower, and rounded at the extremity. The canine 



