OEDEE, OF aUADEUMANA. 593 



took a fancy for two kittens, whicli it usually carried under its 

 arm, or placed on its head. But it often happened that the 

 Cats, fearing lest they should fall, dug their claws into the 

 Monkey's skin. It endured with great patience the pain thus 

 produced. Nevertheless, on two or three occasions it carefully 

 examined the feet of its small companions, and tried to pull out 

 their claws with its fingers ; but not succeeding in this, it resigned 

 itself to suffer the infliction rather than lose their society. 



In eating, it took food either with its hands or its lips ; it 

 was not very adroit in using table utensils, but its awkward- 

 ness was compensated for by its intelligence. When it could not 

 succeed in getting the food on its plate into the spoon, it gave the 

 instrument to its neighbour to fill for it ; it drank with ease oiit of 

 a glass by holding it between its two hands. One day, after laying 

 its glass down on the table, it perceived that it was not balanced 

 and was about to fall, immediately it placed its hand on the side 

 towards which the vessel leaned. 



In consequence of its muscular power and ferocity it is 

 very difficult, if not impossible, to take an adult Orang alive. 

 Otherwise it is perhaps, of all the Monkeys, that which best 

 justifies the law previously established with regard to the 

 transformation of character in the majority of these animals, 

 as years accumulate on their heads. In proportion as we 

 have seen them gentle and intelligent in early life, so have 

 they become ferocious and brutal when they had attained the 

 complete development of their physical faculties. They then 

 bear so little resemblance to their former selves, that they might 

 be taken for another species. "We have previously observed, that 

 on the evidence of several of the most illustrious naturalists, it 

 was for a long time believed that the adult Orang was a distinct 

 species from the young animal. This error has only been recently 

 rectified. 



Until the present time the greatest uncertainty has prevailed 

 relative to the number of species composing the genus Orang. 

 To obviate our advancing any hazardous hypothesis, we may say 

 that in the actual state of science, only one species may with 

 certainty be admitted: this is the one whose history we have 

 traced — the Orang- Outang. 



Genus Gorilla. — It is but a short time since correct information 



Q Q 



