THE ORIENTAL REGION" 145 



described from the mountains of Java, but has since been 

 obtained from Sumatra and Borneo. 



Of the Insectivores by far the most important genus in 

 the Malayan Sub-region is the Tree-shrew (Tupaia), of 

 which at least a dozen species are here found. The Tree- 

 shrews are small animals, of the general appearance of 

 squirrels, that live chiefly among the branches of trees, 

 and, like the squirrels, sit on their haunches and use their 

 fore limbs for holding their food. An allied genus, with 

 an elegant double fringe of long hair to its tail (Ptilocercus), 

 is confined to Sumatra and Borneo. 



Tarsius, belonging to a distinct family of Lemurs, 

 inhabits the forests of most of the islands of the Sub-region, 

 as well as Celebes. It is a small animal, about the size of 

 a squirrel, deriving its name from the fact that the tarsal 

 bones of its foot are greatly elongated. 



Among the Monkeys, in addition to the three genera 

 found also in the Burmese Sub-region, we have the Pro- 

 boscis Monkey {Na&alis) of Borneo, very remarkable for 

 its large and projecting nasal organ. Finally, in Sumatra 

 and Borneo we find the Orang (Simia), of which there are 

 possibly two species, although this is by no means certain. 

 These large man-like apes (see Fig. 28, p. 144), which form, 

 along with the Gibbons, and the African Chimpanzee and 

 Gorilla, the family Simiidte, inhabit mostly the low swampy 

 districts near the coast ; they may be distinguished at once 

 from their African cousins by the reddish-brown colour of 

 the long hair with which they are clothed. In some respects 

 they are the most closely allied to Man in structure of the 

 anthropoid Apes. 



The following is a summary of the Malayan genera of 

 mammals, constructed on the same plan as in the case of 



