_? Hylobates pileatus_, Swinhoe, P. Z. S., 1870, p. 224 (nec Gray).
_Hylobates hainanus_, Thomas, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (6), ix., p. 145
(1892).
CHARACTERS.--Very closely related to _H. hoolock_, but differs by the
entire absence of the white superciliary streak, the animal being jet black
all over.
DISTRIBUTION.--The island of Hainan.
HABITS.--This species has not been seen alive in its native haunts by any
European naturalist. Consul Swinhoe made many efforts to obtain a living
specimen in the island of Hainan, but was unsuccessful. "I never ceased,"
he says, "to enquire after it. Every one knew that such an animal did
exist, and many had seen it; but they all spoke of the great difficulty of
keeping it alive. At Taipingsze (Central Hainan) the wonderful stories that
were told about it showed that the Yuen was not often seen there. The
magistrate of that district assured me, {165}with a serious face, that it
had the power of drawing into its body its long arm-bones, and that when it
drew in one arm, it pushed out the other to such an extraordinary length,
that he believed the two bones united in the body; and he said that the
bones of the arm were used for chop-sticks." Mr. Swinhoe, however,
published, in 1870, some curious extracts from the Chinese gazetteer of the
Kiung-shan district of Hainan, which with little doubt relate to this
interesting animal, of which skins have, since he wrote, been received at
the British Museum, while a young individual lived for some months in 1893
in the Zoological Gardens of London, where it attracted much attention. The
gazetteer says as follows: "Yuen: male black, female white; like a Macaque
but larger, with the two fore-arms exceedingly long. Climbs to tree-tops
and runs among them backwards and forwards with great agility. If it falls
to the ground, it remains there like a log. Its delight is in scaling
trees, as it cannot walk on the ground. Those desiring to rear it in
confinement should keep it among trees; for the exhalations of the earth
affect it with diarrhoea, causing death; a sure remedy for this, however,
may be found in a draught made of the syrup of fried Foo-tsze (seeds of
_Abrus precatorius_, Linn.)." The gazetteer then continues: "Hainan has
also the Rock Yuen. It is small, about the bigness of one's fist. If
allowed to drink water, it grows in size. This is also called Black Yuen,
and is now likewise difficult to obtain."
Those who had an opportunity of observing the specimen that lived in the
Zoological Gardens, will recall its extraordinary acrobatic feats, which
were performed with marvellous precision and certainty, either with one or
with both hands, and yet with the most careless air. It offered a striking
contrast to an Orang-utan, which occupied the adjoining cage. This more
{166}robust Ape exhibited in its arms equally perfect powers of climbing;
but it moved with the greatest circumspection, deliberation, and composure,
exhibiting none of the volatile activity so characteristic of the Gibbons;
but moving only one pair of its limbs at a time, and only when the other
pair had firm hold of some support.