THE OURAN OUTANG. 257 
with the extremities of the fingers. The feet 
are long, resemble hands in the palms, and in 
having fingers rather than toes, but they have 
heels resembling the human. The great toes 
are very short, set on at right angles to the 
feet, close to the heel, and entirely without 
nails. 
“ The ouran outang of Borneo is utterly in- 
capable of walking in a perfectly erect posture. 
He betrays this in his whole exterior confor- 
mation, and never wilfully attempts to coun- 
teract its tendency. His head, leaning for- 
ward, and forming a considerable angle with 
the back, throws the centre of gravity so far 
beyond the perpendicular, that his arms like 
the fore-legs of other animals, are required to 
support the body. So difficult indeed is it for 
him to keep the upright position for a few 
seconds, under the direction of his keeper, 
that he is obliged, in the performance of his 
task, to raise his arms above his head, and 
VOL. I. s 
