The Apes. MAMMALIA. The Siahang. 25 
to Mr. Owen, as quoted by Mr. Blyth, they occasion- 
ally attack the natives, and bite them severely ; and 
Mr. Owen himself was once surrounded by a troop of 
them, which he disturbed whilst washing themselves 
in a stream, and felt convinced that, had he not taken 
to his heels, they would have attacked him. The same 
gentleman states that these apes appear to destroy 
large snakes. His attention was once attracted by the 
noise made b^' them in some trees over his head. On 
stopping to examine into the cause of the uproar, he 
was disagreeably startled by the sudden fall of a python, 
six or seven feet in length, which was bitten in many 
places, and nearly dead. 
According to Dr. Burrough the hoolocs walk erect 
with great ease, balancing themselves by raising their 
arms above their heads ; but if urged to greater speed 
they drop their hands to the ground, and assist them- 
selves forward, jumping rather than running. If they 
succeed in making their way to a grove of trees, they 
swing with such astonishing rapidity from branch to 
branch and from tree to tree, that they are soon lost 
in the forest. In confinement they are gentle and 
tractable, and appear to entertain some affection for 
their master. In drinking they dip their hands into 
the liquid and then suck their fingers ; but when very 
thirsty, they will take up the vessel containing their drink 
with both hands, and carry it to their lips, so as to get 
a more considerable draught. A specimen in Dr. 
Burrough’s possession was fed principally upon fruits, 
boiled rice, and bread and milk, but would also eat 
cooked animal food, especially chicken and fried fish ; 
he rejected beef and pork ; he liked eggs, coffee, and 
chocolate, and was very fond of insects, searching in 
the crevices for spiders, and if a fly chanced to come 
within his reach, would dexterously catch it in one 
hand. Hence we may infer, that insects constitute 
a portion of the natural food of the hooloc, and 
probably also of the other gibbons. The cry of the 
specimen just referred to, was a loud and shrill whoo- 
whoo, whoo-iohoo. 
The hooloc was considered by Mr. Ogilby to be 
probably the origin of Pliny’s Scyritce, and described by 
him, in consequence, under the name of Hylohates 
Scyriius. 
THE SIAMANG {Hylohates Sijndactylus) is the largest 
and most powerful species of the genus, and is entirely 
of a black colour, with the exception of a few hairs of 
a reddish tinge upon the eyebrows and chin. The 
hair is long and coarse, but glossy ; the belly is nearly 
naked, and the throat completely so ; it incloses a 
large sac communicating with the larynx, which can 
be filled with air at the pleasure of the animal, and 
when thus distended forms a huge goitre-like swelling 
of the neck. This sac, which exactly resembles that 
of the orang-outan, is supposed to assist in augmenting 
the power of the tremendous voice of this animal ; it 
also indicates an approach, on the part of the siamang, 
to the higher apes, which, like him, occur in the forests 
of Sumatra. 
The siamang was the first species of gibbon in 
which the union of the first and second digits of the 
hinder hands was noticed ; and indeed this character is 
presented by this animal so much more strongly than 
Von. I. 4 
in the other species of the genus, that it well deservc.s 
the name of Syndactylus, applied to it by Sir Stamford 
Raffles. This peculiarity has even induced Dr. Gray 
and M. Boitard to propose the formation of a separate 
genus for its reception. 
M. Duvaucel, who discovered this species in the 
neighbourhood of Bencoolen in Sumatra, states that the 
siamangs are very common in the forests, where they 
assemble in numerous troops, ted by a chief, whom the 
Malays believe to be invulnerable, probably because he 
is more powerful, active, and difficult to get at than the 
rest. These troops salute the rising and setting sun 
with the most terrific cries, which may be heard at a 
distance of several miles, and which, when near, stun 
those whom they do not frighten. This is the morning 
call of the mountain Malays, but to the inhabitants of 
the towns it is a most insupportable annoyance. By way 
of compensation, they preserve a most profound silence 
in the daytime, at least if their repose is not disturbed. 
M. Duvaucel adds, that they are slow and heavy in 
their gait, so that they may be easily caught when 
surprised, especially on the ground ; but, on the other 
hand, their vigilance is so great, .and their sense of 
hearing so delicate, that it is by no means an easy 
matter to surprise them, as at the least noise, even 
though it be at a mile’s distance, they take to flight. 
On the ground they advance by jerks, using tlieir long 
arms like crutches. When one of a troop is wounded 
it is immediately abandoned by the rest, uidess it 
happens to be a young one, when the mother stops, 
falls with it, and, uttering the most lamentable cries, 
attacks the enemy with open mouth and extended 
arms. Under ordinary circumstances also, the females, 
according to M. Duvaucel, bestow an amount of care 
upon their offspring which seems almost to belong to a 
rational sentiment. He says — “It is a curious and 
interesting speciacle to see the females carry their 
young to the river, wash their faces in spite of their 
childish outcries, and altogether bestow upon their 
cleanliness a time and attention, which, in many cases, 
the children of our own species might well envy.” 
In confinement the siamang, according to M. Duvau- 
cel, is gentle, but stupid and sluggish ; in fact, from his 
account it would appear, that the very gentleness of 
the animal is merely due to its apath 3 n Mr. George 
Bennett, however, who obtained a specimen of this 
animal at Singapore in 1830, has published a far more 
favourable account of its endowments. Mr. Bennett de- 
scribes his specimen as always walking erect when on a 
level surface, sometimes holding his arms down so as to 
assist himself, by touching the ground with his knuckles 
occasionally, but more usually raising them over his 
head, ready to seize a rope and climb up on the 
approach of danger. This animal preferred vegetable 
food, and was especially fond of carrots ; when these 
were put uj on the table for dinner, the siamang, 
although usually very decorous in his behaviour, 
immediately forgot his good manners, and it was not 
without some difficulty that he could be prevented 
from attacking them uninvited. “ A piece of carrot,” 
says Mr. Bennett, “ would draw him from one end of 
the table to the other, over which he would walk with- 
out disturbing a single article, although the ship was 
