56 Borneo — The Orang-Utan. 



sticking to the mias's lips, and then pull open its mouth and 

 see if any still remained inside ; afterward lying down on 

 the poor creature's stomach as on a comfortable cushion. 

 The little helpless mias would submit to all these insults 

 with the most exemplary patience, only too glad to have 

 something warm near it, which it could clasp affectionately 

 in its arms. It sometimes, however, had its revenge; for 

 when the monkey wanted to go away, the mias would hold 

 on as long as it could by the loose skin of its back or head, 

 or by its tail, and it was only after many vigorous jumps 

 that the monkey could make his escape. 



It was curious to observe the different actions of these 

 two animals, which could not have differed much in age. 

 The mias, like a very young baby, lying on its back quite 

 helpless, rolling lazily from side to side, stretching out all 

 four hands into the air, wishing to grasj) something, but 

 hardly able to guide its fingers to any definite object, and 

 when dissatisfied, opening wide its almost toothless mouth, 

 and expressing its wants by a most infantine scream ; the lit- 

 tle monkey, on the other hand, in constant motion, running and 

 jumping about wherever it pleased, examining every thing 

 around it, seizing hold of the smallest objects with the great- 

 est precision, balancing itself on the edge of the box or run- 

 ning up a post, and helping itself to any thing eatable that 

 came in its way. There could hardly be a greater contrast, 

 and the baby mias looked more baby-like by the comparison. 



When I had bad it about a month it began to exhibit 

 some signs of learning to run alone. When laid upon the 

 floor it would push itself along by its legs, or roll itself over, 

 and thus make an unwieldy progression. When lying in the 

 box it would lift itself up to the edge into almost an erect 

 position, and once or twice succeeded in tumbling out. 

 When left dirty, or hungry, or otherwise neglected, it would 

 scream violently till attended to, varied by a kind of cough- 

 ing or pumping noise very similar to that which is made by 

 the adult animal. If no one was in the house, or its cries 

 were not attended to, it would be quiet after a little while, 

 but the moment it heard a footstep would begin again hard- 

 er than ever. 



After five weeks it cut its two upper front teeth, but in 



