392 MAMMALIA. 



A gravity mingled with gentleness and approaching to melan- 

 choly was the dominant expression in its physiognomy. It 

 practised forgiveness of injuries, and most frequently contented 

 itself with evading those persons whom it knew were disposed 

 to do it harm. But it strongly attached itself to people who 

 showed it any affection ; loving to sit beside them, to draw 

 itself as closely as possible to their breast, and to take their 

 hands between its lips. 



Doctor Abel Clark thus terminates his narrative : — 



" Since its arrival in Great Britain, it acquired, to my know- 

 ledge, two habits which it certainly never practised on board ship,' 

 where its education, I ought to say, had been very much neglected. 

 One of these was walking erect, or at least on its hind feet, with- 

 out resting on its hands ; the second was to kiss its keeper. Some 

 writers assert that the Orang-Outang gives real kisses, and they 

 suppose that this is a natural act of the animal. I believe that they 

 are wrong : it is acquired from imitation, and even then it does 

 not altogether give a kiss like Man, by advancing the lips." 



Another Orang was brought to France, in 1808, by M. Decaen, 

 a naval officer, who made it a present to the Empress Josephine. 

 It lived for some months at Malmaison, and it was there that 

 Frederic Cuvier studied it. 



It.'i habits '"3re very sociable, and it attached itself in the liveliest 

 manner to those who treated it kindly. Above all others it had a 

 great affection for M. Decaen. On several occasions it gave him 

 remarkable proofs of this. Being one day with its master, while 

 the latter was in bed, it jumped upon him, clasped him closely, 

 and commenced to suck his chest, as it often did the finger of 

 people who pleased it. 



In the following instance, it gave proof, says Frederic Cuvier, 

 of a highly developed intelligence. It was once shut up in a place 

 in the vicinity of a saloon where it was usual for persons to 

 assemble. After a time solitude made it impatient, and it endea- 

 voured to open the door in order to get in. But the bolt was 

 high and beyond its reach. Ultimately it di-agged a chair to the 

 door, climbed up on it, and having di-awn back the catch, 

 triumphantly entered. 



These ci'eatures attach themselves not only to Man but also 

 to other animals. The Orang of which we have been speakino 



