82 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



whom it is directly pointed. A swarm of bees lighting on the farm is an 

 equally dreadful matter. 



The 'barking' deer (Cervuliis muntjac) is very important as an 

 omen to all peoples, but least so to the Ibans. The bark of this 

 deer prevents people from continuing their journey, and even divorces 

 people who are newly married. 



The little chevrotains, 'planok' or 'plandok' (Tragulus napu and 

 T. javanicus), have the same function as the muntjac, so far as a 

 journey is concerned, but otherwise they are not very important. 



The Eev. W. Chalmers says : "If the cries of any of the three kinds 

 of deer found in Sarawak be heard when starting on a journey, or 

 when going to consult the birds by day or by night, it is a sign that 

 if the matter in hand be followed up sickness will be the result. 

 Also, if a newly married couple hear them at night, they must be 

 divorced, as, if this be not done, the death of the bride or bridegroom 

 will ensue. I myself have known instances of this omen causing a 

 divorce, and I must say the separation has always been borne most phil- 

 osophically by the parties most concerned; in fact, the morning of one 

 of these divorces I remember seeing an ex-bridegroom working hard at 

 shaping some ornamental brass-work, which Dayak women are in the 

 habit of wearing round their waists, and he said that he intended to 

 bestow it on a certain damsel whom he had in his eye for a neio wife." 



Sir Spencer St. John M^rites: "To hear the cry of a deer is at all 

 times unlucky, and to prevent the sound reaching their ears during a 

 marriage procession, gong and drums are loudly beaten. On the way 

 to their farms, should the unlucky omen be heard, they will return 

 home and do no more work for a day." 



A Malay told me : If a Sarawak Malay was striking a light in the 

 evening in his house and a plandok made a noise at the same time, the 

 whole family would have to leave the house for three days. Should 

 they not do so, the house would catch iire and be burned down or sick- 

 ness or other calamity would overtake them. 



On the second day of one of Dr. Hose's journeys through the jungle, 

 the chief who was with him saw a plandok rush across the path. Hose 

 being behind, did not observe it, but he saw all his party sitting on a log, 

 and the chief informed Hose that he could not proceed that day, as his 

 'legs were tied up.' This was most inconvenient, as Hose was in a 

 hurry, but the men would not go on. Hose freely took upon himself all 

 the responsibility and said he would go first and would explain to the 

 plandok that he was the person in fault. The chief would not agree 

 even to this, and did not budge, but said he would follow the next day. 

 Hose went on with some of the men as far as he could get and camped, 

 ivlext day the chief caught Hose up at noon and appeared very much 



