88 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the assenting nod or dissenting frown of the great spirit himself. . . . 

 'These birds,' says Sengalong Burong, 'possess my mind and spirit, and repre- 

 sent me in the Jower world. When you hear them, remember it is I who 

 speak for encouragement or for warning.' . . . The object of the bird-culters 

 is like that of all other rites: to secure good crops, freedom from accidents 

 and falls and disease, victory in war, profit in exchange and trade, skill in 

 discourse and cleverness in all native craft." 



We know that such very distinct peoples in Sarawak alone, as the 

 Ibans (Sea Dayaks), Land Dayaks, Muruts, Punans, Kayans and 

 Kenyahs, pay attention to omen animals and, in most cases, to the same 

 animals. This points to a common origin of the cult, for in some cases 

 there is no specially obvious reason why that particular species of ani- 

 mal should have been selected. In the three last mentioned peoples the 

 names of the omen animals are practically similar, but many of the 

 Iban names are different. 



There can be little doubt that this cult is indigenous to Borneo; 

 it is probable that a cult of omen animals formed part of the funda- 

 mental religious equipment of the Ibans before they migrated to 

 Borneo, but it is also probable that the Ibans have borrowed some- 

 what from neighboring indigenous tribes. Much more information 

 must be obtained before a satisfactory history of this cult can be written. 



