ORDER QUADRUMANA. 235 



upwards ; but when the body is in a diagonal direction, its 

 most ordinary position on the branches of trees, which seem 

 hence, and are found accordingly to be the natural and pro- 

 per habitation of these animals, the eyes have then an hori- 

 zontal direction. The body is equally unfitted with the 

 head for the vertical position of the animal. The pelvis 

 has its plane of entrance parallel with the spine, and too 

 narrow to furnish a basis of support or equal points of arti- 

 culation to the limbs ; the body cannot, therefore, without 

 violence, remain in a perpendicular posture. The lower 

 extremities still more decidedly negative the erect position. 

 The hands or feet do not rest on an entire sole but on the 

 exterior edge only, thus presenting no proper surface of 

 rest for the frame. The groove of the femur into which the 

 rotula slides, when we extend our legs, is so short in these 

 animals, and the flexor-muscles are inserted so low, that 

 they always have the knees half bent. The muscular calves 

 and buttocks also necessary to the erect position of the legs, 

 are wanting. The forest, therefore, is the natural domicile 

 of these animals in common with all other monkeys, and 

 when necessity or inclination brings them to the ground 

 their locomotion upon it is quadrupedal. 



Few animals are more strictly and narrowly located than 

 the apes, as their rarity in this part of the world, even 

 under all the care and artificial means we can employ for 

 their preservation, sufficiently testifies; indeed they seem 

 rigorously excluded from such powers of body as enable 

 man to establish himself every where. 



The larynx of the apes can articulate no sound, the air 

 having to fill two considerable cavities placed in the front 

 part of the neck, and communicating with the trachea, be- 

 fore it can pass through the glottis. Here then we seem to 

 observe a complete bar against the invaluable prerogative 

 of speech, though it seems certain at the same time, that 

 no such material obstacle was absolutely necessary in an 



