O R A 
hand; and, when it's young are alarmed, they 
embrace their parent clofely. 
This creature was firft defcribed by Fernan- 
dez, who calls it the Cayopollin. 
Opossum, Cayenne; the Crabier of BufFon. 
This fpecies has a long, flender face; fliort, 
pointed ears; a woolly coat, mixed with very 
coarfe hairs, three inches long, of a dirty white 
colour from the roots to the middle, and from 
thence to the ends of a deep brown ; the fides and 
belly are of a pale yellow hue; the legs are of a 
dufky brown ; and the tail is very long, taper, 
naked, and fcaly. 
This animal, which inhabits Cayenne, is ex- 
tremely aftive in climbing trees; and, in marfhy 
places, feeds on crabs, which it fometimes hooks 
by means of it's long tail: if a crab pinches it's 
tail, the animal fets up a loud cry, which may be 
heard at fome diftance. It brings forth four or five 
young, which it fecures in fome hollow tree. The 
natives eat it's flelh ; the flavour of which, they 
fay, refembles that of the hare. 
Opossum, Merian ; the DIdelphis Dorfigera of 
Linnsus. This fpecies, which inhabits Surinam, 
burrows under ground. It brings forth five or 
fix young at a time, which follow their dam; 
and, on any apprehenfion of danger, jump on 
her back, twift their tails round her's, and are by 
that means immediately carried into her hole. 
The ears of this creature are long, naked, and 
fharp-pointed ; the head, and the upper part of 
the body, are of a yellowifli brown colour; the 
belly is white, tinged with yellow j the fore-feet 
are divided into five fingers, and the hind into 
four, befides a thumb, each furniflied with flat 
nails ; and the tail, which is very long and flen- 
der, is entirely naked, except at the bafe. The 
length of the body is about ten inches ; and that 
of the tail is nearly twelve. 
ORANG-OUTANG, or OURANG-OU- 
TANG; the Homo Troglodytes or Nofturnus 
of Linnjeus. This animal, called alfo the man 
of the wood, is a Ipecies of ape without a tail; 
with a flat face, being a deformed refemblance of 
the human ; ears exaftly like thofe of a man ; a 
Ihort neck; the hair on the head longer than on 
the body ; the body and limbs covered with red- 
difli fliaggy hair; the face and paws fwarthyj and 
the buttocks hairy. 
This creature, which inhabits the interior 
parts of Africa, the ifles of Sumatra, Borneo, and 
Java, is of a very folitary nature, living in the 
moft fequeftered fituations, where it feeds on 
fruits and nuts. It grows to the height of fix 
feet; and, were it poffefl^ed of reafon adequate to 
it's fl:rength, it would overpower one of the moft 
athletic of the human fpecies. It fometimes at- 
tacks fuch negroes as wander near it's retreats in 
the woods ; drives away elephants, beating them 
with it's fifts, or with clubs; and frequently 
throws ftones at thofe who ofi^end it. It ufually 
fleeps in trees ; and fhelters itfelf from the incle- 
mency of the weather by erefting a kind of flied. 
It's deportment is grave, and it's difpofition 
melancholy: it is extremely fwift; walks ereftj 
and can only be tamed when taken young. 
BufFon relates, that he has feen one of thefe 
animals offer it's hand to thofe who came to 
view it, and walk with them as if it had been one 
of the company : that he has alfo feen it fit at ta- 
ble, unfold a napkin, wipe it's lips, make ufe of 
a knife and fork, pour liquor into a glafs, lay 
hold of a cup and faucerj put in fugar, pour out 
O RI 
the tea, and ftir it in order to cool it; and that 
the animal has done this not only at the com- 
mand of it's mafl:er, but of it's own accord: that 
it did no kind of mifchief, but fubmitted to the 
carefles of ftrangers; and that it preferred dried 
ripe fruits to every other fpecies of food. 
A certain traveller alfo relates, that he has feen 
a female of this fpecies at Java, which every 
morning regularly made it's own bed; at night 
lay down with it's head on the bolfter, and co- 
vered itfelf with the quilt; and, when it's head 
ached, wrapped a handkerchief round it. Sec 
Ape, Great. 
Some have fuppofed this animal to be the pro- 
totype of all the fauns. Satyrs, Pans, and Sileni, 
defcribed by the ancients; and whofe forms have 
dcfcended to us, in the works of the painters and 
fculptors of antiquity, varied and embelliflied 
according to the fancy of the authors. Pennant, 
however, apprehends that the fatyrs of the an- 
cients were a fpecies of monkies, and diflimilar to 
this animal, fince they are reprefented by ^lian 
and Ptolemy as being furniflied with tails. 
It is certain that the Orang-Outangs, or great 
apes, were formerly more numerous than at pre- 
fent, if we may credit the account of the large 
troop to which Alexander, when in India, pre- 
pared to give battle; and the attack made on 
another large body, in an ifland on the coaft of 
Africa, where three females were taken, whofe 
fkins were depofited in the Temple of Juno, and 
found there by the Romans at the taking of 
Carthage 
ORBIS. A genus of fifii of which there arc 
feveral fpecies; the Orbis lagocephalus, the Or- 
bis fcutatus, the Orbis muricatus, the Orbis 
ranse ri6tu, the Orbis fpinofus Clufii, the Orbis 
muricatus alter Clufii, and the Orbis oblongus 
teftudinis capite. 
The fpecies, however, generally cxprefl^d by 
the word Orbis, or orb-fifli, is called by Ronde- 
letius the Orbis Primus; and by Salvian the Or- 
bis Egyptiacus, becaufe frequently caught in the 
oftia of the Nile. Excepting the tail, this fifli is 
entirely of a circular figure. It has no fcales; 
but is covered with a firm hard fkin, full of fmali 
prickles, which render it very rough. It's mouth 
is fmall, and contains four broad teeth; it has 
only one aperture on each fide for it's gills, and a 
fin under each; and the tail confifts of one broad 
and flat fin. It's flefli is unfit for food. 
ORCHIS. An appellation given by Gefner to 
the fifli commonly called orbis ; and called by 
Artedi the fpherical oftracion, with four teeth, and 
the body covered with fmall fpines. 
ORC YNUS. A name by which fome authors 
exprefs the fifti called by the generality of ichthy- 
ologifts the thynnus, or tunny. 
ORIOLE; the Oriolus Galbula of Linnseus. 
A very beautiful bird of the thrufh kind, com- 
mon in feveral parts of Europe ; where it inhabits 
the woods, and fufpends it's neft very artfully be- 
tween the flender branches on the fummits of an- 
cient oaks. It has a loud note, exprefllng fome- 
thing like it's name. 
This bird is about the fize of the thruflij the 
head and whole body of the male is of a rich yel- 
low colour; the bill is red; and from that to the 
eye runs a black line. The wings are black, 
marked with a yellow bar ; the tips of the feathers 
are of the fame colour; the two middle feathers of 
the tail are black, the reft being black with yellow 
tipsi and the legs are duflcy. The body of the 
female 
