1847-] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, 729 



just been completed, or rather the third or last true molars were cutting the 

 gums at the epoch of the animal's death.* Our three other specimens are 

 young of different ages. 



Of the genus Hylobates, or Gibbon, we have a particularly fine series of 

 specimens, though, with one exception only, they are referrible to but two 

 species. 



The exception is the fine pale female of H. lenciscus, F. Cuv. described in 

 XIII, 465, which I procured with some other Javanese specimens at auction. 



Of the Hoolock (H. hoolocJc, Harlan), we have seven fine mounted speci- 

 mens, exemplifying the variation to which this species (in common with other 

 Gibbons) is subject; besides a very pale living adult female with dark cheeks, 

 throat, and chest, and white frontal band as usual, presented by Capt. Tickell : 

 all the others are mounted from fresh specimens, received chiefly from the 

 Barrackpore menagerie ; but another pale adult female was presented alive 

 by Mr. Heatly. Of the considerable number of individuals which I have now 

 examined of this species, the males have been, almost without exception, deep 

 black, with the white frontal band more or less developed, both as regards 

 extent and the purity of the white : in general, but not always, this band is 

 divided in the middle ; and rarely it is of a dark grey colour, not contrasting 

 very strikingly with the black. Females seem never to be of a deep black, 

 but vary from brownish-black to whitish-brown, devoid however in the latter 

 instance of the fulvous tinge which is observable in pale specimens of H. lar. 

 In general, they are paler on the crown, back, and outside of limbs, darker in 

 front, and much darker on the cheeks and chin. They are of every inter- 

 mediate shade to the extremes mentioned ; and do not appear to alter in 



* This valuable specimen ai id at the Museum at a most unfortunate time, when I 

 was just recovering- from a severe illness, and was passing my convalescence at tha 

 house of a friend at some distance, unable to attend office. Upon hearing of its present- 

 ation, however, I lost no time in repairing to the Society's rooms, but reached them too 

 late for any useful purpose, beyond that of superintending the setting up of the skin 

 When the animal was alive, I often saw her ; and she appeared to be always mild and 

 good-tempered. The adult female Orang-utan which Sr. Del' Casse exhibited some 

 month's ago in Calcutta, was a much larger and more powerful beast, and had quite a 

 different expression of countenance. She was also, on the whole, good-tempered, but 

 uncertain and dangerous to handle, which prevented my taking her dimensions. I consi- 

 der her to be of the race termed Mias Rambi by Mr. Brooke. A remarkable trait of 

 this individual was her decided sense of pudor : however she might lie or roll about, 

 she never failed to use one foot for purposes of concealment, holding therein a small 

 piece of board generally, or in default of this a wisp of straw, or whatever she could 

 seize on for the purpose. The general colour of Sr. Del'Casse's animal was very dark, 

 with much blackish hair pendent on the sides of the face, and the whole face was dark, 

 excepting the eyelids. 



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