NASALIS 113 



not seen an example from this island, but P. nemccus is a native of 

 Cochin China, and the Island of Hainan, and neither it, nor its relative, 

 P. NiGRiPES, has ever been found, so far as I am aware, in Borneo or 

 on any of the near lying islands. A long-nosed monkey colored like 

 either of the two species mentioned, would certainly represent an 

 undescribed species. 



Mr. Hornaday met with the Proboscis Monkey in Borneo, and 

 states, "as usual, they were over water, and being swift climbers and 

 quite shy were hard to kill. I saw altogether during my ramblings 

 in the forests of Borneo, perhaps a hundred and fifty Proboscis 

 Monkeys, and without a single exception, all were over water, either 

 river, lake, or submerged forest. As long as they are in sight they 

 are very conspicuous objects, choosing the most commanding positions 

 in open tree-tops; once I saw thirteen in one tree, sitting lazily on the 

 branches, as is their habit, sunning themselves and enjoying the 

 scenery. It was the finest sight I ever saw in which Monkeys played a 

 part. The cry of the Blanda is peculiar and unmistakable. Written 

 phonetically it would be 'Honk' and occasionally 'Kee-Honk' long 

 drawn and deeply resonant, quite like the tone of a bass viol. The 

 Proboscis Monkey is a large animal of striking appearance both in 

 form and color. Taken altogether, Nasalis larvatus is to the hunter- 

 naturalist a very striking object of pursuit, and were he not partially 

 eclipsed by the orang he would be the most famous Quadrumane in 

 the East Indies." 



There is a more or less general impression that monkeys cannot 

 swim, and the following account of a Proboscis Monkey swimming 

 one of the rivers in Borneo was given to me by my friend Mr. C. 

 William Beebe, the Curator of Birds in the New York Zoological 

 Garden, and proves at all events as regards this species, that such a 

 belief is entirely incorrect. The natives informed Mr. Beebe that 

 these monkeys were often seen swimming across the rivers. 



"Up the Rejang River in small steamer. At 7 A. M. (about three 

 and a half hours below Sibu) where the river was about one hundred 

 and fifty yards wide we passed a Long-nosed Monkey (Nasalis lar- 

 vatus) in mid-stream swimming strongly. His fore arms moved dog- 

 fashion downward and back, but he swam first on one side then on 

 the other. Once when he turned his head with its prominent nose, 

 backward to look at us, his arms swept far apart, man-fashion, but 

 almost at once he returned to the other method. These monkeys 

 inhabit all this delta region of half submerged nipa palms and owing 

 to the wide intersecting tidal reaches, they must frequently utilize 



