12 TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE 



he retreated towards the jungle, which was close by, and 

 a number of the men, armed with spears and choppers, 

 ran out to intercept him. The man who was in front 

 tried to run his spear through the animal's body, but the 

 orang seized it in his hands, and in an instant got hold 

 of the man's arm, which he seized in his mouth, making 

 his teeth meet in the flesh above the elbow, which he 

 tore and lacerated in a dreadful manner. Had not the 

 others been close behind, the man would have been more 

 seriously injured, if not killed, as he was quite powerless : 

 but they soon destroyed the creature with their spears 

 and choppers. The man remained ill for a long time, 

 and never fully recovered the use of his arm." 



The only other specially man-like, or anthropoid, apes 

 are the long-armed apes or gibbons. They are generally 

 much less thought of by the public than those more cele- 

 brated creatures, the gorilla, chimpanzeee, and orang. 

 Nevertheless, they present several points of great inte- 

 rest, and in some respects more resemble ourselves than 

 does any one of the three kinds just mentioned. The 

 gibbons are smaller creatures, but are all as completely 

 destitute of a tail as are their three more renowned rela- 

 tives. The largest gibbon stands about three feet high from 

 head to heel. There are several species, but they vary 

 so much in colour, according to age, sex, and other con- 

 ditions, that they cannot yet be said to be very well- 

 defined. They range over south-eastern Asia, and 

 at present are nowhere else found; but in Tertiary 

 times a gibbon, much larger than any now existing, 

 roamed through the forests of the south of France. 

 Though some are to be found in India, and others in 

 Burmah, Malacca, and Siam, their special abode is the 

 Indian Archipelago, in the great islands of Borneo, 

 Sumatra, Java, and in others, for they are there widely 



