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Show 72 SIR HARRY II. JOHNSTON ON THE [May 16, I do not suppose much deference will be shown to my own suggestions; but it seems to me that the best generic name for the Orangs would be Satyrus; or, if that is strongly objected to because it may be confused with the specific name of one or two Chimpanzees, then possibly Pithecus. I cannot help thinking that in this case, as in many other instances, when we are settling for good and for all our biological nomenclature, we carry too far the passion for asserting the prior rights of the first invented name, which is occasionally a singularly inappropriate one. I will conclude my paper with a few remarks on the definite knowledge of the different species of Anthropoid Apes from the dawn of zoological science in Greece to the end of the 18th Century of the present era, by which time European zoologists had begun to discriminate pretty clearly between the Gibbons, the Orang, and the Chimpanzee. Knowledge of the Gorilla of course was not clearly defined till about 1848 or even later. It is possible, however, that a living specimen of the Gorilla was brought over to Holland in the latter part of the 17th Century. A figure of this creature (which was a female) is given in Dr. Tyson's work on the Chimpanzee, published in London in 1699. Aristotle, writing in about 330 B .C ., divided the mammals that were nearest to man into three closely allied groups : the Pitliekoi or Apes, the Keboi or Monkeys, and the Ivunokephaloi or dogfaced Baboons. In the Latin translations of Aristotle these designations are rendered Simia, Cebi, and Canicipes. Aristotle's L a n g u a g e . D i s t r i c t . W o k d f o e C h im p a n z e e . Nyoro and Sima dialects. Unyoro, Toro, Ankole, and south- Isike, Yisiki, west of Victoria Nyanza. Ecliikuya, Empundu, Ivitera. Konjo ................................ Mt. Euwenzori ..................................... Ekitera. Lihuku ................................ Forest, nortli-west of Semliki Ngule. River (Mboga Country). ICibira ................................ Congo Forest between Semliki R. Kika. and Upper Congo (Aruwimi basin). Mangala and allied Upper Congo, between Aruwimi (Mu) Kumbuso languages. and confluence of Mubangi Welle, (M u-is only the and bet ween course of Congo and singular prefix), vicinity of Welle River. Lendu ................................ West of Albert Nyanza .................. Ngrrr (r' s trilled). Bambute pygmies ........ Semliki-Aruwimi Forest................. U'u. Momfu ................................ North-east Borderlands (Congo- Tato. Nile water parting) of Congo Forest, west of Lendu. A lu ru ..................................... North of Albert Nyanza ............. Bim. Madi ..................................... (Western dialects of) West of Arugu. Mountain Nile, north-east of Congo Forest. Malcarlca (Nyamnyam) . Southern and Western parts of Baham or B amu; Bahr - el - Gliazal province of also Irangba and Egyptian Sudan. Nderuma. Mundu ................................ North-east of Makarka...................... Ang6. Bongo ................................ North-west of Makarka .................. Dedda. [Perhaps other travellers and philologists can fill up the gaps in this series of names.] |
