ANATOMICAL OBSERVATIONS ON A COLLECTION OF 

 ORANG SKULLS FROM WESTERN BORNEO; WITH A 

 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



By Ales Hrdlicka, 



Assistant Curator, Divisio)i of Physical Antliropology . 



INTRODUCTION. 



In January, 1906, the L^nited States National Museum received from 

 Dr. W, L. Abbott !^6 orang- skulls, !24 of which were collected along- the 

 Sakaiam River, in Landak, western Borneo, the remaining- two being- 

 from the Landak River, in the same region. The Sakaiam is a large 

 tri))utary of the lower Kapuas; it flows from the southern slopes of 

 the elevations that form the southwestern boundary of Sarawak, and 

 joins the Kapuas at Sangou, very near the ecjuator and at about 110^ 

 •10' east longitude. 



Doctor Abbott's collection of orang skulls is probably the largest 

 3^et made in that region. Selenka's great collection in Munich includes 

 22 "Landak" orang skulls, but the exact location is not given; the 

 rest of Selenka's abundant material was derived eiitirel}' from the ter- 

 ritory of the Ketungan stream, lying- considerably to the northeastward 

 of the Sakaiam. 



Only four of Doctor Abbott's specimens are fresh, the apes having 

 been killed by his hunters; the expedition was made in the dry season, 

 after the orangs had abandoned the lowlands along the I'ivers, where 

 the wild fruits had become exhausted. The additional crania were 

 obtained from a Dyak house, where, according to the custom of the 

 natives, they had lieen hung up as trophies, the animals having- been 

 killed, cooked, and eaten. Most of these older specimens were only 

 slightly damaged and remain fit for study. No one of the skulls is 

 altered through any pathological condition. 



Anatomical description of the above-named specimens seems desira- 

 ble for several reasons. This is a large collection from a limited local- 

 ity, representing, very probably, one species or "race'' of the apes. 

 The results of the study should contribute to the anatomical knowledge 

 of orang crania in general, augment the value of the data accumulated 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXI— No. 1495. 



539 



