ORAN OtAN. 
10 
prevents it from closing, and they then drag out 
their prey, and devour it at leisure.” 
Pere Carbasson brought up an oran otan, which 
became so fond of him, that wherever he went it 
always seemed desirous of accompanying him : 
whenever, therefore, he had to perform the ser- 
vice of his church, he was always under the 
necessity of shutting it up in a room. Once, how 
ever, the animal escaped, and followed the father 
to the church ; where, silently mounting on the 
sounding board above the pulpit, he lay perfectly 
still till the sermon commenced. He then crept 
to the edge, and, overlooking the preacher, imita- 
ted all his gestures in so grotesque a manner that 
the whole congregation were unavoidably urged 
to laugh. The father, surprised and confound- 
ed at this ill-timed levity, severely reproved big 
audience for their inattention. The reproof failed 
in its effect, the congregation still laughed, and 
the preacher, in the warmth of his zeal, re- 
doubled his vociferations and his actions : these 
the ape imitated so exactly, that the congregation 
could no longer restrain themselves, but burst 
out into a loud and continued laughter. A friend 
of the preacher at length stepped up to him, 
and pointed out the cause of this improper con- 
duct ; and such was the arch demeanour of his 
animal, that it was with the utmost difficulty 
he could command the muscles of his countenance, 
and keep himself apparently serious, while he or- 
dered the servants of the church to take him 
away. 
Such are the habitudes and the powers of the 
smaller class of these extraordinary creatures ; but 
we are presented with a very different picture in 
those of a larger stature and more muscular form. 
The little animals we have been describing, which 
are seldom found above four feet high, seem to 
