Description of a Gibbon. 37 



which are not described as belonging to those already 



detailed by naturalistSj I will proceed to compare these 

 with the five varieties already known; only remarking 

 previously, that the osseous structure may be considered 

 the best standard of distinction, better than height or color. 

 The bones do not present so many anomalies as the other 

 tissues of the animal fabric, and in all that regards Natural 

 History, the constancy of the phenomena should be tl^e 

 only test of the truth. And therefore I have based my 

 proofs of tills being an undescribed species chiefly on the 

 peculiarities of the skeleton. ^ 



The first species named by Lesson, is the Siamang or 

 H. Syndactylus ; readily recognised by the indicator and 

 middle toes beino: united as far as the middle of the second 

 phalanx- It cannot be mistaken. The second is the 

 Hylobdtes Lar^ or the Great Gibbon of Buffon, with 

 white hands, '^le gibbon aux mains blanches." The face 

 is also of a greyish white. The third is the H. Leuciscus 

 ^^ le gibbon cendre ou MolochJ^ This is tlie white variety 

 of Shaw, the Wou-wou of Camper. The hair is long and 

 woolly, and covers botli the hands and fingers as far as 

 the nails.* The fourth, or JET. Variegatus, is the Little 

 Gibbon of BufFon. This species has the hair variegated 

 with gray, brown, and deep gray. The face is surrounded 

 with gray hair, forming a circle, which passes over the 

 forehead, the cheeks and under the lower jaw. The four 

 extremities are equally gray. Lesson, in a previous 

 work,f says, that this species only differs fi-om the H. Lar 

 in being a third less in heisrht. The fifth and last, described 

 by the French naturalists, is the JS. Unlco, and a curious 

 fact In their organization is, that the females only of this 



* Lesson. Op. cit. vol. iii. p. 390. 



t Manuel de Mammologie, p. 31. 



