OEDEB OE QUADEUMANA. 
593 
took a fancy for two kittens, which it usually carried under its 
arm, or placed on its head. But it often happened that the 
Cats, fearing lest they should fall, dug their claws into the 
Monkey’s skin. It endured with great patience the pain thus 
produced. Nevertheless, on two or three occasions it carefully 
examined the feet of its small companions, and tried to pull out 
their claws with its fingers ; but not succeeding in this, it resigned 
itself to suffer the infliction rather than lose their society. 
In eating, it took food either with its hands or its lips ; it 
was not very adroit in using table utensils, but its awkward- 
ness was compensated for by its intelligence. When it could not 
succeed in getting the food on its plate into the spoon, it gave the 
instrument to its neighbour to fill for it ; it drank with ease out of 
a glass by holding it between its two hands. One day, after laying 
its glass down on the table, it perceived that it was not balanced 
and was about to fall, immediately it placed its hand on the side 
towards which the vessel leaned. 
In consequence of its muscular power and ferocity it is 
very difficult, if not impossible, to take an adult Orang alive. 
Otherwise it is perhaps, of all the Monkeys, that which best 
justifies the law previously established with regard to the 
transformation of character in the majority of these animals, 
as years accumulate on their heads. In proportion as we 
have seen them gentle and intelligent in early life, so have 
they become ferocious and brutal when they had attained the 
complete development of their physical faculties. They then 
bear so little resemblance to their former selves, that they might 
be taken for another species. Wo have previously observed, that 
on the evidence of several of the most illustrious naturalists, it 
was for a long time believed that the adult Orang was a distinct 
species from the young animal. This error has only been recently 
rectified. 
Until the present time the greatest uncertainty has prevailed 
relative to the number of species composing the genus Orang. 
To obviate our advancing any hazardous hypothesis, we may say 
that in the actual state of science, only one species may with 
certainty be admitted : this is the one whose history we have 
traced — the Orang-Outang. 
Genus Gorilla . — It is but a short time since correct information 
Q Q 
