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The madnefs remained in vogue till the twelfth century, 

 when it was fuppreiied. 



Simeon Ben Jochai. See Cabbala. 



SIMERCHEIT, in Geography, a town of Bohemia, 

 in the circle of Bolcflaw ; 4 miles N. of Melnik. 



SIMEREN, a river of Syria, which runs into the Eu- 

 phrates, at Romkala. 



SIMERING, a town of Auftria; 4 miles S.S.E. of 

 Vienna. 



SIMI, or Symi, an ifland in the Mediterranean, between 

 the ifland of Rhodes and the continent of Afia ; 6 miles N. 

 of Rhodes. N. lat. 36-" 36'. E. long, 37'^ 34'. 



SIMIA, in Natural Hi/lory, a genus of the clafs and 

 order of Mammalia Primates, of which the generic charac- 

 ter is, that the individual have four front teeth in each jaw, 

 which are approximate ; the tu(l<s are folitary, longer, and 

 more remote ; the grinders obtufe. The animals of this 

 genus greatly refemble man in tlie uvula, eye-la(hes, hands, 

 feet, fingers, toes, nails, and other parts of the body ; they, 

 however, differ widely in the total want of reafon : they have 

 retentive memories, are imitative, and full of geiliculations ; 

 chatter with their teeth, and grin : they macerate their food 

 in the cheeks before they fwallow it : they are filthy, lafci- 

 vious, thieving, gregarious, and the prey of leopards and 

 ferpents, the latter purfuing them to the fummits of trees 

 and fwallowing them entire. 



This race of animals, which is very mimerous, is almoft 

 confined to the torrid zone ; they fill the woods of Africa, 

 from Senegal to the Cape, and from thence to Ethiopia : a 

 fiagle fpecies is found beyond that line, in the province of 

 Barbary : they are found in all parts of India, and its iflands ; 

 in Cochinchina, in the fouth of China, and in Japan ; and 

 one kind is met with in Arabia : they fwarm in the forells 

 of South America, from the iilhmus of Darien as far as 

 Paraguay. 



Thefe animals, from the ftiudnre of their members, have 

 many aftiontin common witii the human kind ; moil of them 

 are fierce and untameable ; fume are of a milder nature, and 

 will (hew a degree of attachment : they feed on fruits, leaves, 

 and infefts ; inhabit woods, and live in trees : they go in 

 large companies. The different fpecies never mix with each 

 other, but always keep apart : they leap with g-reat aAivity 

 from tree to tree, even when loaded with their young, 

 which cling to them : they are not carnivorous, but, for 

 the fake of mifchief, will rob the neils of birds of the eggs 

 and young ; and it is obfcrved, that in thofe countries 

 where apes mod abound, the feathered tribe difcover fingu- 

 lar fagacity in fixing their nells beyond the reach of thefe 

 invaders. 



Mr. Ray firft didributed the animals of this genus into 

 three dalles, viz. the fimit, or apes, fuch as wanted tails ; 

 the cercopilheci, or monkies, fuch ab had tails ; and papionet, 

 cr baboons, thofe with fhort tails. 



From Ray, Linnaus formed his method, which was fol- 

 lowed by M. de Bnffon, who made a farther fub-divifion of 

 the long-tailed apes, or true munkics, into fuch as had 

 prehenfile tails, and fuch as had not. 



The genus is divided into the following feflions : 



Seftion A. Ai-ks without any tail. 



B. Baboons with fhort tails. 



. C. M(J.SKii:.s. Tails long, not prehenfile; checks 



pouclied ; haunches naked. 



D. Sapajols. Tails prehenfile ; no check- 

 pouches, and their hunnches are covered. 

 ■ E. Saooins. Taih not prehenfile ; no chcck- 

 pouches ; haunches covered. 



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Of the whole genus, fays Dr. Shaw, it may be obferved 

 that the baboons are commonly of a ferocious and fuUen 

 difpofition. The larger apes are alfo of a malignant temper, 

 except the orang-outang and the gibbons. The monkies, 

 properly fo called, are extremely various in their difpofitions ; 

 fome of the fmaller fpecies are lively, harmlefs, and enter- 

 taining ; while others are as remarkable for the mifchievous 

 malignity of their temper, and the capricious uncertainty of 

 their manners. It is no caly talk to determine with exatl 

 precifion the feveral fpecies of this extenfive genus ; fince, 

 exclufive of the varieties in point of colour, they are often 

 fo nearly allied as to make it difficult to give real and dif- 

 tinftive charaAcrs. We (hall, as nfual, follow Gmehn's 

 Syftema Naturas of Linnius, in which there are fixty-four 

 fpecies delineated. 



Seftion A. Apes -without Tailt. 

 Species. 



Troglodytes, or Angola Ape. The generic charafter 

 is, that the head is conic, body brawny, back and fhoulders 

 hairy, the rell of the body fmooth. 



Satvrus ; Orang-outang. Rufty-brown, hair of the fore- 

 arms reverfed, haunches covered. Befidcs this there are 

 two varieties; i. Without cheek-pouches, or callofities on 

 the haunches. This variety always walks ered. Its trivial 

 name is Pongo. It inhabits Java and Guinea, and is from 

 five to fix feet high. 2. The other variety refembles the 

 former, but is above half as high : it is docile, gentle, and 

 grave, and by fome thought to differ from the other only 

 in age. 



Of thefe animals, the fpecies which has mod excited the 

 attention of mankind is the orang-outang, or, as it is often 

 denominated, the fatyr, great ape, or wild man of the woods. 

 It is a native of the warmer parts of Africa and India, and alfo 

 of feveral of the Indian iflands, where it refidcs principally 

 in the woods, and is fuppofed to feed, like moW other of this 

 genus, on fruits. The orang-outang appears to admit of con- 

 fiderable variety in point of colour, fize, and proportion ; 

 and there is reafon to believe, that in reahty there may be 

 two or three kinds, which, though nearly approximated as to 

 general fimilitude, are yet fpecifically diftinft. The fpeci- 

 mens imported into Europe have rarely exceeded the height 

 of two or three feet, though full-grown ones are faid to be 

 fix feet in height. The general colour fcems to be of a 

 dufl<y brown ; the face is bare ; tlie ears, hands, and feet 

 nearly fimilar to the human ; and the whole appearance is 

 fuch as to exhibit the mod driking approximation to the 

 human figure. The likcnefs, however, is only general, and 

 will not bear the ted of examination ; and the druftiire of 

 the hands of the feet, when obferved with anatomical cor- 

 reftnefs, feems to prove that the animal was principally de- 

 figncd by nature fiir walking on four legs, and not for an 

 upright polhirc, which is only occafionally aflumcd, and 

 wiiich is thought to be the cffefts of indrudion rather than 

 truly natural. 



The manners of the orang-outang, when in captivity, arc 

 gentle, and perfedly void ot that difgulling ferocity which is 

 often confpicuous in fome of the larger baboons and monkies. 

 It is mild and docile, and may be taught to perform a va- 

 riety of actions in domedic life. But, however docile and 

 gentle when taken young, and indruded in its behaviour, 

 It is pwfleffed of great ferocity in its native date, and is 

 confidered a very dangerous animal, capable of readily over- 

 powering the dronged man. lis (wiftnefs is equal to its 

 drengih ; and lieiicc it can rarely bu ubtaiiied in its full- 

 grown ft ate. 



M. Vof- 



