outangs are so easily satisfied, that these animals must find in their organization.enough of resources, not to compel them to a great exertion of their intellectual facul ties, in this respect. Fruits are their principal food, and, as we have already seen, their limbs are peculiarly adapted for ascending trees. It is probable, therefore, that, in their state of nature, these animals employ their intelligence much oftener to preserve them selves from harm than to procure food. But all their habits must change, the instant they are in the society or under the protection of men: their dangers must be dimi-. nished, and their wants increased. This is evinced by all the domes tic animals, and à fortiori by our ourang outang. In short, its in telligence was much more frequently called into action to satisfy, its wants than to avert danger. I ought to place in this first division a custom of this animal, which ap.. peared to be a phænomenon of instinct, the only one of the kind which it exhibited. While the season did not admit of its leaving the house, it practised a custom which appeared singular, and which was at first difficult to account for this consisted in mount ing upon an old desk to perform the functions of nature; but as soon as the warmth of spring ad mitted of its going into the garden, this extraordinary custom was accounted for it never failed to ascend a tree when it wanted to perform these functions, and this method has even been resorted to, with success, as a remedy for its habitual constipation: when it did not ascend the tree of itself, it was placed upon it; and if its efforts produced no evacuation, it

was a proof that bathing was ne cessary.

We have already seen that one of the principal wants of our ourang outang was to live in society, and to attach itself to persons who treated it with kindness. For Mr. Decaen it had a particular affection, of

which it gave daily proofs. One morning it entered his apartment while he was still in bed, and threw itself upon him embracing him strongly, and applying its lips to his breast, which it sucked as it used to do his fingers. On ano ther occasion it gave him a still stronger proof of its attachment. It was accustomed to come to him at meal times, which it knew very welly in expectation of victuals. With this view it leapt up behind his chair, and perched upon the back of it; when he gave it what he thought proper. On his arrival in Spain, M. Decaen went ashore, and another officer of the ship supplied his place at table> the ourang outang placed itself on the back of the chair as usual; but as soon as it perceived a stranger in its master's place, it refused all food, threw itself on the floor, and rolled about in great. distress, frequently striking its: head and moaning bitterly. I' have frequently seen it testify its impatience in this way: when any! thing was refused it which its wanted, not being able, or nots daring, to attack those who op posed its wishes, it would throw: itself on the floor, strike its head, and thereby endeavour to excite interest or pity in a more livelys manner. This method of express> ing sorrow or anger is not obl servable in any animal, man excepted. Was this ourang outang led to act in this manner from the

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same motives which actuate us in similar circumstances? I am inclined to answer this question in the affirmative: for in its passion it would occasionally raise its head from the ground and suspend its cries, in order to see if it had produced any effect on the people around, and if they were disposed to yield to its entreaties: when it thought there was nothing favour able in their looks or gestures, it began crying again.

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This desire for marks of kindness generally led our ourang outang to search for persons whom it knew, and to shun solitude, which seemed to displease it so much, that one day it employed its intelligence in a singular way to break loose from it. It was shut into a closet adjoining the room where the people of the house usually met: several times it ascended a chair in order to open the door, which it effected, as the chair usually stood near the door, which was fastened with a latch. In order to prevent it from repeating this operation, the chair was removed some distance from the door; but scarcely was it shut when it again opened, and the ourang outang was seen descending from the chair, which it had pushed towards the door in order to enable it to reach the latch. Can we refuse to ascribe this action to the faculty of generalizing? It is certain that the animal had never been taught to make use of a chair for opening doors, and it had never seen any person do so. All that it could learn from its own experience was, that by mounting upon a chair it could raise itself to a level with things that were higher than it; VOL. LIII.

and it may have seen from the actions of others that chairs might be moved from one place to another, and that the door in question was moved by lifting the latch; but these very ideas are generalizations, and it is only by combining them with each other that the animal could have been led to the action which we have related. I do not think that any other animal ever carried the force of reasoning further. To conclude:-men were not the only beings of a different species to which the ourang outang attached itself: it conceived an affection for two cats which was sometimes attended with inconve→ nience: it generally kept one or other under its arm, and at other times it placed them on its head; but as in these various movements the cats were afraid of falling, they seized with their claws the skin of the ourang outang, which patiently endured the pain which it experienced. Twice or thrice indeed it attentively examined their feet, and after discovering their nails it attempted to remove them, but with its fingers only: not being able to accomplish this object, it seemed resigned to the pain they gave it, rather than renounce the pleasure of toying with the animals. This desire of placing the cats on its head was displayed on a great many other occasions, and I never was able to divine the cause of it. If some small pieces of paper fell into its hands, it raised them to its head, and it did the same with ashes, earth, bones, &c.

It has already been mentioned that it took its food with its hands or mouth: it was not very expert 2 I

in handling our knives and forks, and in this respect it resembled some savages whom we have heard of, but it made up for its awkwardness by its ingenuity: when the meat which was on its plate did not lie conveniently for its spoon, it gave the spoon to the person next it, in order that he might fill it. It drank very well out of a glass, which it could hold in its two hands. One day, after having put down the glass, it saw that it was likely to fall, and it instantly placed its hand at the side to which the glass inclined, and thereby saved it. Several persons were witnesses to these circumstances.

Almost all animals have occasion to protect themselves against the effects of cold, and it is probable that the ourang outangs are in this predicament in the rainy season. I am ignorant of the means resorted to by them in their state of nature, but our ourang outang almost continually kept itself covered. When on ship-board it laid hold of every thing that came in its way; and when a sailor had lost any of his clothes he was sure to find them in the ourang outang's bed. The care which it took to keep itself covered, furnished us with an excellent proof of its intelligence, and proved, not only that it could generalize its ideas, but that it had the sentiment of future wants. Its coverlid was spread every day on a piece of grass in the garden in front of the dining-room, and every day after dinner it went straight to the garden, took its Coverlid upon its shoulders, and leaped upon the shoulders of a domestic that he might carry it to

bed. One day that the coverlid was not in its usual place it searched until it found it, and then threw it over its shoulders as usual.

I have already remarked that this animal was by far too young to exhibit any of the phænomena connected with generation, &c. I shall here terminate my observations, although I could add a great many more facts, but they would throw no additional light on the subject of our inquiries.

What has been just stated, ought to show that it is not necessary to multiply our experiments in order to obtain general and precise ideas as to the intellectual faculties of the mammiferæ. If we pick out one or two species in each genus, and examine them under the point of view which I have adopted, I am convinced that we might succeed in establishing the laws to which this faculty is subject in the whole class, and in appreciating the successive degradations which it undergoes, its connection with the senses, and the supplementary means which nature furnishes: in a word, we might lay the foundation of this interesting branch of natural history, which has been hitherto obscured by imaginary systems or obscure facts. For my part, I am happy in having had an opportunity of studying the animal which approaches most closely to man. I regard this as a point of comparison to which I shall in future refer all the other species of the mammiferæ, if circumstances admit of my continu ing the inquiries, which I long ago commenced, into the intellectual characters which distinguish these species from each other.

Being lately on a visit to John Cator, Esq. of Beckenham place, and looking one day over his library, amongst a collection of books left him by his uncle, who married the daughter of the celebrated Peter Collinson, I discovered several which had formerly belonged to that eminent naturalist. One of them was his own copy of Miller's Gardener's and Botanist's Dictionary, the last edition published by the author, with the following note at the bottom of the title-page: "The gift of my old friend the author to P. Collinson, F.R.S." This book contains a great deal of his manuscript notes relating to the plants cultivated in those days, both in his own gardens, and in those of the most celebrated of his contemporaries; with a complete catalogue of the plants he had cultivated in his garden at Mill-Hill, and a list of all those which he had himself introduced into this country from Russia, Siberia, America, and other parts of the world; also some original letters from Dillenius, Miller, Bartram, and others: and a short account of his own life, which appears not to have been known to his biographers. Mr. Cator having obligingly permitted me to take a copy of the whole, I now submit to the Linnæan Society those parts which I think most worthy of their notice.

A. B. L.

I was born in the house against Church-alley, Clement's-lane,

Lombard-st. from whence my parents removed into Grace-church

street, where I have now lived many years. [July 18th, 1764.] Gardening and gardeners have wonderfully increased in my memory. Being sent at two years old to be brought up with my relations at Peckham, in Surrey, from them I received the first liking to gardens and plants. Their garden was remarkable for fine cut greens the fashion of those times, and for curious flowers. I often went with them to visit the few nursery gardens round London. To buy fruits, flowers, and clipt yews, in the shapes of birds, dogs, men, ships, &c. For these Mr. Parkinson in Lambeth was very much noted; and he had, besides, a few myrtles, oleanders, and other evergreens. This was about the year 1712. At that time, Mr. Wrench behind the earl of Peterborough's at Parson's Green near Chelsea, famous for tulip-trees, began the collecting of evergreens, arbutuses, phillyreas, &c.; and from him came the gold and silver hedgehog holly, being accidental varieties from the hedgehog variety of the common holly. He gave rewards to encourage people to look out for accidental varieties from the common holly; and the saw-leaved holly was observed by these means, and a variegated holly goes by his name to this day. He and Parkinson died about the year 1724. Contemporary with them were Mr. Derby and Mr. Fairchild; they had their gardens on each side the narrow alley leading to Sir George Whitmore's at the further end of Hoxton. As their gardens were small, they were the only people for exotics,

and had many stoves and greenhouses for all sorts of aloes and succulent plants; with oranges, lemons, and other rare plants. At the other end of the town were two famous nurserymen, Furber and Gray, having large tracts of ground in that way, and vast stocks; for the taste of gardening increased annually. Dr. Compton, bishop of London, was a great lover of rare plants; as well such as came from the West Indies as from North America, and had the greatest collection then in England. After his death the see was filled by bishop Robinson, a man destitute of any such taste, who allowed his gardener to sell what he pleased, and often spoiled what he could not otherwise dispose of. Many fine trees, come to great maturity, were cut down to make room for produce for the table.

The abovementioned gardeners, Furber and Gray, availed themselves of making purchases from this noble collection and augmented their nurseries with many fine plants, not otherwise to be procured.

Brompton Park was another surprising nursery of all the varieties of evergreens, fruits, &c. with a number of others all round the town; for, as the taste increased, nursery gardens flourished.

Mr. Hunt at Putney, and Mr. Gray, are now living, aged about 73. But more modern cultivators are the celebrated James Gordon at Mile-End, whom for many years from myextensive correspondence, I have assisted with plants and seeds, and who, with a sagacity peculiar to himself, has raised a vast variety of plants from all parts

of the world; and the ingenious Mr. Lee of Hammersmith, who, had he the like assistance, would be little behind him. Mr. Miller of the Physic Garden, Chelsea, has made his great abilities well known by his works as well as his skill in every part of Gardening, and his success in raising seeds procured by a large correspondence. He has raised the reputation of the Chelsea garden so much, that it excels all the gardens in Europe, for its amazing variety of plants of all orders and classes, and from all climates, as I beheld with much delight this 19th of July, 1764.

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October 3rd, 1759, after nine years absence from Goodwood, after the death of my intimate friend the late duke of Richmond, accompanied the present duchess there, and to my agreeable surprise found the hardy exotic trees much grown. There were two fine great magnolias about twenty feet high in the American grove that flowered annually. (My tree flowered this year, 1760, that I raised from seed about 20 years before.) Some of the larches measured near the ground seventeen inches round, the rest fourteen inches and a half. I saw a larch of the old duke's planting cut down, that in twenty-five years was above fifty feet high, and cut into planks above a foot in diameter, and above twenty feet long; but there were some larches of the same date seventy feet high. They grow wonderfully in chalky soil.

October 30th, 1762, the young Lord Petre came of age. The late lord Petre, his father, died July 2nd, 1742: he was my intimate friend, the ornament and delight of the