A PES.1 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE 



31 



itse.f, and the velocity and precision with which it 

 launched itself from branch to branch, excited the 

 admiration of all who beheld it. Distances of twelve 

 and eighteen feet were thus cleared, the gibbon 

 keeping up a succession of launches, without inter- 

 mission" and for a great length of time, and all the 

 while exhibiting an air of nonchalance, as if the 

 feat was of the most easy performance. In her 

 flight, for so indeed it might be termed, the gibbon 

 seemed but to touch the branches with her hands 

 in her progress, the impetus being acquired during 

 that momentary hold ; and it could not be doubted 

 that if the animal had been in the enjoyment of 

 liberty in her own native forest, distances far ex- 

 ceeding eighteen feet, would have formed no inter- 

 ruption to her progress. It was curious to witness 

 how she could stop in her most rapid flight when 

 the momentum was at the highest, and it might 

 naturally have been supposed that a gradual cessa- 

 tion would have been required. Suddenly as 



• thought, however, she arrested her progress; the 

 branch aimed at being seized by one hand, a rapid 

 and energetic, movement, raised the body up ; the 



■ branch was then grasped by the hind hands, and 

 there she sat, quietly gazing at the astonished spec- 

 tators of her extraordinary gymnastics. With the 

 same abruptness did she throw herself into action. 

 Admirable was the precision with which she calcu- 

 lated her distances and regulated the impulse 

 necessary to clear intervals varying from four, five, 

 or six, to eighteen feet : such indeed was her quick- 

 ness of eye, that when apples or other fruits were 

 thrown at her, or so as to pass near her in her flight, 

 she would catch them without apparent, effort, and 

 at the same time without discontinuing her career. 

 While exerting her feats of agility the gibbon 

 ever and anon uttered her loud call-notes, consisting 



I of the syllables oo-ah, oo-ah, in a graduated succes- 

 sion of half-tones, ascending in the scale till an 

 exact octave was attained, when a rapid series of 

 descending notes, producing a shake, during the 

 execution of which the lips vibrated and the whole 

 frame quivered, concluded the strain. The quality 

 of these notes was not unmusical, but their loudness 

 was deafening as heard in the apartment, and when 

 uttered by these animals in their native forests must 

 resound far through their stilly depths. It is prin- 

 cipally in the morning that the gibbon exerts the 

 whooping cry, which is doubtless its call to its mate 

 or companions, and it was at that time that we 

 heard it. It should be observed that at first the 

 syllables were slowly and distinctly repeated, and 

 on the same note, e. As the tones rose in the 

 chromatic scale, the time quickened, till, gaining 

 the octave, the descent by half-tones was inexpres- 

 sibly rapid: this ended, two barks followed, each 

 composed of the high and low e, sounded nearly 

 together. At the conclusion the animal was always 

 violently agitated, as if wrought up to a high pitch 

 of excitement, and shook with all her strength the 

 branch to which she was clinging, or the netting, 

 the cords of which she grasped with her hands. 



The following notes will give a correct idea of the 

 musical call of this gibbon: — 



Allegretto. 



XJ U 



Prestissimo. 



- ((\ (C (C { (( (( (( (( (( (( (( 





a a a 



fcz±=t=t 



H 8 -^-. 



zraz: 



BEEEE 



This interesting animal was timid and gentle ; 

 she greatly preferred the presence of females to 

 that of men, and approached them and received 

 their attentions with pleasure : there is reason to 

 believe that ill-treatment had made her sus- 

 picious of the sex from which she had experienced 

 injury. She was intelligent, and observant, and her 

 quick eyes seemed to be ever on the watch, scruti- 

 nizing every person and observing all that passed 

 around her. When a person had once gained her 

 confidenee, she would descend to meet him as often 

 as invited, and allow her hands to be taken hold of, 

 and her soft fur stroked without any hesitation : to 

 females, though strange to her, she gave her confi- 

 dence, without any previous attempts at concilia- 

 uoii. The muscular power of the arms, shoulders, 

 and chest was very great, and the muscles w r ere 



finely developed; the chest was broad and the 

 shoulders high ; the reach of the extended arms 

 was about six feet, and the animal when erect 

 stood about three feet from the heel to the top of 

 the head. The form and proportions of this gibbon 

 could not fail to strike the most casual observer, as 

 adapting it not only for an arboreal existence, but 

 for that kind of arboreal progression, those flying 

 launches from branch to branch, which have been 

 described. 



134, 135.— The Siamang 

 (Ht/Iobates syndactylus). The Siamang is the 

 largest, of the Gibbons, being upwards of three feet 

 in height, and at the same time robust and muscular. 

 The fur is woolly and black ; the first and second 

 fingers of the feet are. united to each other, and 

 there is a huge laryngal pouch on the throat covered 

 with black naked skin, which, when the sac is dis- 

 tended with air, is smooth and glossy. The use of 

 this apparatus is not very apparent; most probably 

 the sac has some influence on the voice; for Mr. 

 G. Bennett ('Wanderings,' Sec.) observes that when 

 the siamang in his possession was irritated he in- 

 flated the pouch, uttering a hollow barking noise, 

 the lips being at the same time pursed out and the 

 air driven into the sac, while the lower jaw was a 

 little protruded. It is this noise which M. Duvau- 

 cel describes, as we suspect, when he states that the 

 siamang rouses occasionally from its lethargy to 

 utter a disagreeable cry approaching in sound to 

 that of a turkeycock, and which he takes upon him- 

 self to say expresses no sentiment and declares no 

 wants. Mr. Bennett, noticed that the sac was in- 

 flated, not only during anger, but also when the 

 animal was pleased. It is exclusively in Sumatra 

 that the siamang is found: it is abundant in the 

 forests, especially in the neighbourhood of Bencoo- 

 len, which resound with the loud and discordant 

 cries of the troops sheltered among the lofty 

 branches. Duvaucel says that this species is slow, 

 inanimate, and destitute of activity among the 

 trees, and on the ground it is so overcome by fear 

 as to be incapable of resistance ; that in captivity it 

 exhibits no pleasing traits, being at once stupid, 

 sluggish, and awkward, unsusceptible either of feel- 

 ings of grateful confidence or of revenge, and re- 

 garding nothing with interest. On the contrary, 

 Sir T. S. Raffles, who kept several of these animals, 

 describes the siamang as bold and powerful, but 

 easily domesticated, gentle, confident, and social, 

 and unhappy if not in company with those to whom 

 it is attached. Nay, M. Duvaucel contradicts 

 himself : first he says all its senses are dull and im- 

 perfect, and then gives an account of its extreme 

 vigilance and acuteness of hearing, and of the 

 affection of the mothers for their young. If a young 

 one be wounded, the mother, who carries it or fol- 

 lows it closely, remains with it, utters the most 

 lamentable cries, and rushes upon the enemy with 

 open mouth ; but being unfitted for combat, knows 

 neither how to deal nor shun a blow. It is, he 

 adds, " a curious and interesting spectacle, which a 

 little precaution has sometimes enabled me to wit- 

 ness, to see the females carry their young ones to 

 the water, and there wash their faces, in spite of 

 their childish outcries, bestowing a degree of time 

 and care on their cleanliness, which, m many cases, 

 the children of our own species might envy." The 

 Malays informed him that the young are carried 

 respectively by those of their own sex; and also 

 that the siamang frequently falls a prey to the 

 tiger, under the influence of that sort of fascination 

 which intense terror produces, and which the snake 

 is said to exercise over birds and squirrels. 



Mr. G. Bennett's account (' Wanderings,' Sec) of 

 the siamang which he kept for some time gives us 

 a very favourable impression of it disposition and 

 intelligence. The adroitness and rapidity of its 

 movements, the variety of attitudes into which it 

 threw itself, when climbing about the rigging of the 

 vessel in which it was brought from Singapore, and 

 the vigour and prehensile power of its limbs, indi- 

 cated its adaptation to the branches of the forest. 

 Its disposition was gentle, but animated and lively, 

 and it delighted in playing frolics. With a little 

 Papuan child on board this siamang became very 

 intimate ; they might often be seen sitting near the 

 capstan, the animal with his long arm round her 

 neck lovingly eating biscuit together. In his gam- 

 bols with the child lie would roll on deck with her, 

 as if in mock combat, pushing with his feet (in 

 which action he possessed great muscular power), 

 his long arms entwined round her, and pretending 

 to bite. With the monkeys on board he also seemed 

 desirous of establishing amicable companionship, 

 evidently wishing to join them in their gambols ; but 

 as they avoided his company, probably from fear, he 

 revenged their unsociableness by teasing them, and 

 pulling their tails at every opportunity. He recog- 

 nised his name, and would come to those he knew 

 when called, and soon became a general favourite, 

 for his liveliness was not accompanied by the love 



of mischief. Yet his temper was irritable, and on 

 being disappointed, or confined, he would throw him- 

 self into fits of rage, screaming, rolling about, and 

 dashing everything aside within his reach: ne 

 would then rise, walk about in a hurried manner, 

 and repeat the scene as before. With the cessation 

 of his fit of anger, he did not abandon his purpose, 

 and often gained his point by stratagem, when he 

 found that violence was of no avail. 



When vessels were passed at sea, it was very 

 amusing to see him take his position on the peak 

 haulyards, and there gaze on the departing ship till 

 she was out of sight. After this he would descend, 

 and resume his sports. One instance of his in- 

 telligen«e is peculiarly interesting. Among various 

 articles in Mr. Bennett's cabin, a piece of soap 

 greatly attracted his attention, and for the removal 

 of this soap he had been once or twice scolded. 

 One morning Mr. Bennett was writing, the siamang 

 being present, in the cabin ; when casting his eyes 

 towards the animal he observed him taking the 

 soap. " I watched him," says the narrator, " with- 

 out his perceiving that I did so ; he occasionally 

 cast a furtive glance towards the place where I 

 sat. I pretended to write; he, seeing me busi.lv 

 engaged, took up the soap and moved away with it 

 in his paw. When he had walked half the length 

 of the cabin, I spoke quietly, without frightening 

 him. The instant he found I saw him, he walked 

 back again, and deposited the soap nearly in the 

 same place whence he had taken it : thus betraying, 

 both by his first and last actions, a consciousness of 

 having done wrong." 



This animal died when nearing our shores, to the 

 regret of all the crew. 



136. — The White-handed Gibbon. 



(Hylobates Lav). T'j this species we refer both the 

 Grand Gibbon and the Petit Gibbon of Buffon. It 

 is the Simia longimana of Erxleben, and the Simia 

 albimana of Vigors and Horsfield, the Pithecus 

 Lar of Geoffroy, and the Pithecus variegatus of 

 Geoffroy, Kuhl, and Desmarest. The fir is soft and 

 woolly ; the colour varies from dirty-brownish, or 

 from yellowish-white, to deep umbre brown or 

 blackish brown, the crupper being paler; the face 

 is encircled by a band of white ; the hands and feet 

 are white ; the first and second finger are some- 

 times united at the base. • 



The White-handed Gibbon is a native of Malacca 

 and Siam ; but of its peculiar habits nothing is 

 ascertained. It is one of those species which has 

 hitherto been in a state of confusion ; but from 

 which opportunities of examining numbers of speci- 

 mens have enabled us, as we trust, to disentangle it. 



137. — The Silvery Gibbon, or Wouwou OF 

 Camper 



(Hylobates leuciscus). This gibbon is a native of 

 Java, where it was met with by M. Muller, who 

 states that it is called there Oa-oa, from its cry, 

 whence also the name Wou-wou, which has been 

 given to other species. The fur is fine, long, close, 

 and woolly ; the general colour is ashy-grey, some- 

 times slightly tinged with brown, and paler on the 

 lower part of the back ; the sides of the face are 

 white ; the soles and palms are black. According 

 to Muller, the tint of grey varies in intensity, and 

 sometimes has a brownish, sometimes a yellowish 

 tone, the face being encircled with white or light 

 grey. In aged animals the chest becomes of a 

 blackish colour. 



It is to the celebrated anatomist Camper that we 

 owe the recognition of the Silvery Gibbon or Wouwou 

 as a distinct species. The specimen which he dis- 

 sected was brought from one of the Moluccas : in 

 these islands it is reported to frequent the dense 

 jungles of tall canes, amongst which it displays 

 astonishing activity. Two or three living indivi- 

 duals appear at different , times to have existed in 

 England. Of these one belonged to Lord Clive, 

 and is described by Pennant. It was good-tempered, 

 lively, and frolicksome. In 1828, a young male 

 lived for a short time in the menagerie of the Zool. 

 Soc. Lond. 



MONKEYS 

 (Genus Semnopithecus). The genus Semnopithecus 

 was established by Fred. Cuvier, and anatomy has 

 confirmed the propriety of this genus, originally es- 

 tablished upon external characters. 



The Generic Characters are as follow: — muzzle 

 depressed ; head round ; superciliary ridge pro- 

 minent, and with a row of long stiff hairs pro- 

 jecting forwards and upwards; molars crowned with 

 obtuse tubercles, the last molar of the lower jaw 

 with a fifth tubercle seated posteriorly; cheek- 

 pouches wanting ; laryngal sac large ; ischiatic cal- 

 losities moderate ; body slender ; limbs long and 

 thin ; the thumb of the hand small, short, almost 

 rudimentary ; stomach large and highly sacculated ; 

 intestines long; tail long and slender; fur soft, flow- 

 ing, and often glossy. 



