PONGO 183 
contour of the skull; we derive additional proof that the Simia Satyrus 
of Linneus (!) 1s subject to a greater amount of variety in the state of 
nature, than has hitherto been observed in any other Quadrumanous 
species.” The italics are Owen’s. With such variations existing, and 
no cranial characters, or particular coloration of the fur pointing to a 
specific separation, the creation of distinct forms of Ourangs is at 
best, but a doubtful procedure, for all the indications we have in both 
skins and skeletons seem to point to but one existing species of this Ape 
in both Borneo and Sumatra; but one having almost unlimited cranial 
variations in the adult male. 
The brain of the Ourang, like those of all Quadrumana acquires 
its full development before the second set of teeth is completed. 
The only large collection of Ourang skulls in Europe, or in fact 
anywhere, is the one procured by Herr Selenka and brought with him 
to Munich. Herr Selenka did not himself go into the interior of 
Borneo, but made his headquarters at Pontianak on the west coast, and 
very few of his specimens were collected by himself, but were procured 
for him by native hunters chiefly. The entire material consisted of 
several hundred skulls and a considerable number of skins, but these 
last were very much fewer than the crania, for it would seem as if 
Herr Selenka attached much more importance to the skulls than he 
did to the outside covering of the animals. This material formed the 
basis for the various papers written by Herr Selenka on the Ourang, 
and with which Zoologists are familiar. It was therefore with great 
hopes of clearing up various difficult points, and especially arriving at 
a satisfactory conclusion as to the validity of the variously described 
species, that I went to Munich to examine the collection. It was in 
the Anthropological section of the Academy, but, alas, it was not the 
collection that Selenka brought back with him, for he had sold all the 
skins, probably to dealers, for no one knows where they went, nor 
what has become of them, it is only known they have most effectually 
disappeared. About 280 of the skulls were sold to the Department 
of Anthropology, and these are all that remain of the collection. The 
first thing that one notices on examining this series of skulls, is how 
few there are of old adult males, the great majority of them being those 
of young animals, many very young, and females, some adult. Another 
fact that impresses one is that not a single skull in the entire collection 
has any particular locality attached to it. It may have been that Herr 
Selenka did not pay much attention to particular localities, or not 
being able to verify them himself, as he did not go into the interior, 
he may have been aware that he could not place implicit trust upon 
