mm 



499 



feet and a half, tlioitgh tlu- youth of the animal 

 was ascfrtained by the state of its teeth, and by 

 the apophysis of the bones of its hand^i and feet * 

 being incompletely ossified." 



After this opinion of two eminent naturalists it 

 may appear to savor somewhat of presumption 

 to come to a different conclusion, but I offer with 

 diffidence, the following groimds nn which I con- 

 ceive the Pon^o of Wnrmb, or the third variety 

 of the Simia Sai^rus of Linnteus, to be, as there 

 classed, distinct from the Great Orange Utan. 



The fur of the Great Oratig Utan is brownish 

 red — that of the Pongo of the Malayan Peninsu- 

 la is a very pale n^inkcen. The beard of the former 

 is chesnut — that of the latter nearly white. The 

 hair of the head of the Orang Utan is reddish 

 brown— that of the Pongo is of the same pule co- 

 lor as the body* But the principal fact on which 

 I rest is the height. It is supposed by these au- 

 thors that the Pongo of three feel high is but the 

 young Orang Utan. Now the Pongo in my pos- 

 session was killed with a young one in her arras, 

 which {she was suckling, — a decisive proof of ma- 

 turity, and yet she is barely three feet high. I 

 have seen several others, some smaller, but m>nc 

 taller than this. 



Further, the Malays assert, although I am 

 not prepartid to state with what truth, that there 

 is seldom more than one Pongo to be found 

 amongst a troop of Chim pansys, over whom it 

 rules with despotic authority, and that consequent- 

 ly it is very difficult to get near enougli lu shoot 

 one, as the alarm is generally given by srune of 

 its siibjeels on the approach of the sportsman. 



