24 Quadrumana. -MAMMALIA. Simiad^e. 
which also occurs in the smaller males. Mr. Wallace 
also heard the Dyaks mention a third kind of orang 
under the name of Mias Rambi, which is said to equal 
the large species in size, but to be destitute of the cheek- 
excrescences, and clothed with very long hair. Mr. 
Wallace supposes it to be founded on specimens of the 
large orang, in which the excrescences have been but 
little developed. Tlie other described species of the 
genus Simia appear to have been established on insuf- 
ficient characters. 
That we have devoted so much space to the natural 
history of the preceding large apes — the chimpanzee, 
the gorilla, and the orang-outan — is to be attributed 
to the interest which attaches to these creatures, as 
forming, next to our own species, the highest members 
of the animal kingdom. This circumstance, and the 
exaggerated notions frequently entertained of the extent 
to wiiich these creatures approach man, both in their 
structure and endowments, have led us to dwell upon 
them at far greater length than will be necessary in 
treating of the I’est of the Quadrumana, and also to 
confine ourselves principally to their history in a state 
of nature, in which, alone, their true character can 
come freely into play. 
THE GIBBONS, or Long-armed Apes (Genus 
Hijlohales). — The remainder of the true apes all 
belong to the genus Hylobates, the species of which are 
now commonly known as Gibbons ; they are the Long- 
armed Apes of the older writers on zoology. They are 
all inhabitants of the region of the East Indies — a few 
living on the continent of Asia, whilst the majority 
are confined to the islands of the Eastern Archipelago, 
especially Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. 
Pliny’s reference to satyrs living in the East Indies 
is probably founded partly upon the imperfect accounts 
of gibbons which had reached him. Thus he says, 
that “ Tauron mentions a savage tribe, under the name 
of Choromandce, which have no speech, but utter 
horrid screams; they have hairy bodies, fiery eyes, 
and teeth like dogs ; ” and adds that “ Megasthenes 
relates that amongst the nomade Indians there is a 
tribe which, instead of a nose, have only two holes ; 
they have bandy legs, which they can twist about like 
snakes, and are called Scyritce.” Marco Polo states 
that the inhabitants of Java were in the habit of shav- 
ing and embalming the bodies of gibbons, which they 
then sold as pigmies to the merchants who visited their 
coast in search of drugs and spices. This was pro- 
bably done in still more ancient times, and it may have 
been by such means that the ancients became aware 
of the existence of these so-called satyrs. 
The gibbons have the arms still longer in proportion 
than the orangs, but, like them, have the hairs of the 
fore-arm turned up towards the elbow. They have the 
palms of all the hands naked ; the thumbs of the fore- 
liands are cleft very low down, so that the metacarpal 
joint of the thumb is not included in the palm of the 
hand, and the thumbs thus appear to consist of three 
joints ; the first and second toes are more or less united, 
and this is also sometimes the case with tlie second 
and third. The skull is smaller than in the orangs, 
and the brain is smaller, and presents a greater resem- 
blance to that of the monkeys, and less likeness to that 
of man than the same organ in the chimpanzee and 
orang. The intelligence of these apes is also inferior. 
A further difference from the other apes is to be found 
in the presence of callosities upon the buttocks of the 
gibbons — a character which is of importance as indi- 
cating an approach to the monkeys. With one excep- 
tion — that of the siamang — they appear to be quite 
destitute of the large sacs appended to the wind-pipe, 
which occur in the orangs, and also, but rather less 
developed in the chimpanzee and gorilla, and even 
in some of the lower monkeys. The number of ribs 
varies from twelve to fourteen. 
The general habits of the gibbons appear to be 
rather sedentary than otherwise. Their movements 
are slow ; their nature gentle, and rather melancholy ; 
and they do not appear to lose their mildness of dispo- 
sition so much as the other apes, as they increase in 
age. They live in troops in the forests, and usually 
raise a tremendous howling noise in concert in the 
morning and evening. Of the rather numerous species 
of gibbons described, we need only refer to a few of 
the best known. The first species that was accurately 
described and figured was — 
THE WHITE-HANDED GIBBON {Hylobates Lav) — 
the Grand Gibbon of Buffon, which was placed by Lin- 
naeus, in the earlier editions of his “ Systema Naturae,” in 
the same genus with the orangs and the human species. 
This animal, which is between two and three feet in 
height, is of a uniform black or brownish-black colour, 
with the exception of the backs of the four hands, and 
a broad band encircling the face, which are whitish. 
The black hair of the body and limbs is erect and 
woollj’’ ; the white hair of the hands is coarse, harsh, 
straight, and depressed. It is an inhabitant of the 
peninsula of Malacca, of Siam, and probably also of 
some neighbouring regions. The living specimen 
observed by Buflbn is described by him as being “ of a 
tranquil nature, and of gentle manners. Its move- 
ments were neither very lively nor very precipitate. 
It received gently what was given it to eat ; and it was 
fed on bread, fruit, almonds, etc. It had a great dread 
of cold and moisture, and did not live long out of its 
native country.” 
THE HOOLOC {Hylobates Hooloc) is another con- 
tinental species, found principally in the district of 
Assam, as far north as the 28th degree of latitude. It 
is one of the largest species, measuring, when full grown, 
upwards of four feet in height. It is covered with 
harsh, shining, black hair, with a broad white or greyish 
band across the forehead, above the eyebrows. 
Their food consists principally of fruits; but they also 
eat some kinds of grass, and the young shoots and 
leaves of the peepul and other trees, wliich they chew, 
swallow the juice, and then reject the indigestible part. 
They are said to go in herds of from one hundred to one 
hundred and fifty individuals, raising a howling noise, 
which may be heard at a great distance. Dr. Burrough, 
who forwarded an account of the habits of this species 
to Dr. Harlan, says that “ they are easily tamed, and 
when first taken, show no disposition to bite, unless pro- 
voked to anger, and even then manifest a reluctance to 
defend themselves, preferring to retreat to some cor- 
ner rather than to attack their enemy;” but, according 
