The Living Animals of the World, Volume I: Mammals

Apes, Monkeys, and Lemurs

the canines are much smaller, and the ridges above the eyes are not noticeable, a feature common also to the young. Timid, superstitious natives and credulous or untrustworthy travellers have left still wrapped in mystery many of the habits of this mighty ape, whose fever-stricken, forest-clad haunts render investigation always difficult, often impossible. Many tales of its ferocity and strength are obviously untrue, but we think that too much has been disbelieved. That a huge arm descends from a tree, draws up and chokes the wayfarer, must be false, for intelligent natives have confessed to knowing no instance of the gorilla attacking man. That it vanquishes the leopard is probable; that it has driven the lion from its haunts requires proof. Nor can we accept tales of the carrying-off of Negro women; and the defeat of the elephants, too, must be considered a fiction. But we must believe that this ape, if provoked or wounded, is a terrible foe, capable of its paw, or of cracking the skull of a hunter as easilyripping open a man with one stroke of as a squirrel cracks a nut. There is a tale of a tribe that kept an enormous gorilla as executioner, which tore its victims to pieces, until an Englishman, doomed to meet it, noticing a large swelling near its ribs, killed it with a heavy blow or two on the weak spot.

Gorillas live mainly in the trees on whose fruit they subsist; they construct a shelter in the is said to sleeplower boughs for the family, and as a lying-in place for the female. The male below, with his back against the tree a favourite attitude with both sexes to keep off leopards. it moves on all-fours, with a curious swinging action, caused by putting itsOn the ground hands with fingers extended on the ground, and bringing its body forward by a half-jump. Having a heel, it can stand better than other apes; but this attitude is not common, and Du Chaillu appears to have been mistaken when he describes the gorilla as attacking upright.

In captivity only immature specimens have been seen Barnum's great ape being one of the larger forms of chimpanzee. Accounts vary as to the temper of the gorilla, some describing it as untamable, while others say it is docile and playful when young. There is an American tale that a gorilla over 6 feet high was captured near Tanganyika, but nothing more has reached us about it. its When enraged, a gorilla beats breast, as the writer was informed by a keeper, who thus confirmed Du Chaillu's account. Its usual voice is a grunt, which, when the animal is excited, becomes a roar.

THE ORANG-UTAN.

This great red ape was mentioned by Linnaeus in 1766, and at the beginning of the last century a specimen living in the Prince of By permisiion of Merr Umlaujf J [Hamburg. Orange's collection was described by A MALE GOBILLA. Vosmaer. after death taken was immediately known gorilla of the largest This photograph animals size of these of the idea excellent the of varieties an and are three at gives There Yaunde, Paschen Herr by Ibs. 400 animal The weighed with as Negroes. compared MIAS- the called DyaksORANG, by

PAPPAN, MIAS-RAMBI, and Mras-Kassv, the third of which is smaller, has no cheek-excrescences, and very large teeth. Some naturalists recognise a pale and a dark race. Most of our information is due to Raja Brooke and Dr. Wallace. The species is confined to Borneo and Sumatra, but fossils have been found in India of this genus, as well as of a chimpanzee. The orang is less man-like than the chimpanzee and gorilla. In height the male varies from 3 feet 10 inches to 4 feet 6 inches, the female being a few inches shorter. It is a heavy creature, with large head—often a foot in breadth—thick neck, powerful arms, which reach nearly to the ankles, and protuberant abdomen. Its legs are short and bowed. The forehead is high, the nose fairly large, the ears very human. The throat is ornainented with large pouches, and there are often callosities on the cheeks. ‘The fingers are webbed, the thumb small, the foot long and narrow, the great toe small and often without a nail. The brain is man-like, and the ribs agree in number with those of man; but there are nine bones in the wrist, whereas man, the gorilla, and the chimpanzee have but eight. The canine teeth are enormous in the male. The hair, a foot or more long on the shoulders and thighs, is yellowish red: there isa slight beard. The skin is grey or brown, and often, in adults, black. The orang is entirely a tree-living animal, and is only found in moist districts where there is much virgin forest. On the ground it progresses clumsily on all-fours, using its arms as crutches, and with the side Photo by Ottomar Anschiite [Berlin. only of its feet on the ground. YOUNG ORANG-UTANS. In trees it travels deliber- It will be seen here, trom the profile, that the youngantbropoia ape bas only the upper part of the ately but with perfect ease, head at al] approacning the human type. swinging along underneath the branches, although it also walks along them semi-erect. It lives alone with mate and young, and builds a sleeping-place sufficiently low to avoid the wind. Its food is leaves and fruit, especially the durian; its feeding-time, midday. No animal molests the mias save—so say the Dyaks—the python and crocodile, both of which it kills by tearing with its hands. It never attacks man, but has been known to bite savagely when brought to bay, and it is very tenacious of life, one being found by Mr. Wallace still alive after a fall from a tree, when “both legs had been broken, its hip-joint and the root of the spine shattered, and two bullets flattened in neck and jaws.” In captivity young orangs are playful and docile, but passionate. Less intelligent than chimpanzees, they may be taught to eat and drink nicely, and to obey simple commands. One in the Zoo at present has acquired the rudiments of drill. They will eat meat and eggs, and drink wine, beer, spirits, and tea. An orang’ described years ago by Dr. Clarke Abel was Fad ’

Photo by Ottomar Anschütz] [Berlin.

BABY ORANG-UTANS AT PLAY.

7

allowed the run of the ship on the voyage to England, and would play with the sailors in the rigging. When refused food he pretended to commit suicide, and rushed over the side, only to be found under the chains.

The orang is the least interesting of the three great apes; he lacks the power and brutality of the gorilla and the intelligence of the chimpanzee. "The orang," said its keeper to the writer, " is a buffoon; the chimpanzee, a gentleman."

It is worth remark that, although all these apes soon die in our menageries, in Calcutta, where they are kept in the open, orangs thrive well.

THE GIBBONS.

Next after the great apes in man-like characters come a few long-armed, tailless apes, known as the GIBBONS. Like the orang-utan, they live in the great tropical forests of

Photo by Oltomar Anschiitz] [Berlin.

TWO BABY OEANG-UTAXS. THE TTJG-OF-WAK.

Asia, especially the Indian Archipelago; like the latter, they are gentle, affectionate creatures; and they have also a natural affection for man. But it is in mind and temperament, rather than in skeleton, that the links and differences between men and monkeys must be sought. It will be found that these forest apes differ from other animals and from the true monkeys mainly in this that they are predisposed to be friendly to man and to obey him, and that tricks." They are thoughtful, well behaved,they have no bias towards mischief, or " monkey and sedate. The SIAMANG, one of the largest of the long-armed, tailless gibbons, lives in the Malay Archipelago. The arms of a specimen only 3 feet high measured 5 feet 6 inches across. This, like all the gibbons, makes its way from tree to tree mainly by swinging itself by its arms. But the siamang can walk upright and run. One kept on board ship would walk

By permission of Herr I'mlfinff.

THE LARGEST GORILLA EVER CAPTURED.

This huge ape, 5 feet 5 inches high, measures a distance of over 8 feet from finger to finger.

UNIV. OF

CALIFORNIA

Apes, Monkeys, and Lemurs

down the cabin breakfast-table without upsetting the china. The WHITE-HANDED GIBBON is found in Tenasserim, south-west of Burma. This ape has a musical howl, which the whole flock utters in the early mornings on the tree-tops. In Northern India, in the hills beyond the Brahmaputra, lives another gibbon, the H CLOCK. One of these kept in captivity soon learnt to eat properly at meals, and to drink out of a cup, instead of dipping his fingers in the tea and milk and then sucking them. The SILVERY GIBBON kept at the ZoologicalO Gardens was a most amiable pet, and had all the agility of the other gibbons. It is very seldom seen in this country, being a native of Java, where it is said to show the most astonishing activity among the tall cane-groves. One of the first ever brought to Engjand belonged to the great Lord Clive. The AGILE GIBBON is another and darker ape of this group. Photo by York & Son] [Dotting llill.

The list of the man-like apes closes WHITE-HANDED GIBBON. . This gibbon is found in the forests of the Malay Archipelago.with this group. All the gibbons are highly specialised for tree-climbing and an entirely arboreal life; but it is undeniable that, apart from the modifications necessary for this, such as the abnormal length of the arms, the skeleton closely resembles that of a human being. In their habits, when wild, none of these apes show any remarkable degree of intelligence; but their living is gained in so simple a way, by plucking fruits and leaves, that there is nothing in their surroundings to stimulate thought. They do not need even to think of a time of famine or winter, or to lay up a stock of food for such a season, because they live in the forests under the Equator. MONKEYS.

THE DOG-SHAPED MONKEYS.

AFFER the gibbons come a vast number of monkeys of every conceivable size, shape, and variety, which naturalists have arranged in consecutive order with fair success. Until we reach the Baboons, and go on to the South American Monkeys and the Lemurs, it is not easy to give any idea of what these monkeys do

Photo by York Jc Son\ [Kotting IliU. or look like merely by referring to HULOCK GIBBON. their scientific groups. The usual with the body and head should hereThe great length of arm in comparison order of natural histories will here be be noted.