2H Mr. A. R. Wallace oh the Habits of the Orang-Utan. 



appears scldoui to use these nests more than once or twice, and 

 they are accordingly very abundant in ])laces frequented by the 

 Mias. They feed all through the middle of the day, but seldom 

 return to the same tree two days ruiniing. They seem not much 

 alarmed at man, often staring down uj)on me for several minutes, 

 and then moving away slowly to a short distance. After seeing 

 one, I have often had to go a mile or more to fetch my gun, and 

 in almost every case have found it on my return within a hundred 

 yards of the place. 1 have never seen two adult animals together; 

 but both males and females arc sometimes accompanied by half- 

 grown young ones, or two or three of the latter go in company. 

 They very rarely descend to the groimd, — probably only in search 

 of water. 



The. females have but one young, which clings by the long 

 hair of its mother's flanks, and so little impedes her motions, 

 that in two cases I was not aware of its presence till both fell 

 together. The food of the Mias consists exclusively of fruits, 

 with occasionally, when these arc scarce, tender shoots and 

 leaves. They seem to prefer them unrijie, and many are in- 

 tensely bitter, particularly the large red fleshy arillus of one 

 fruit, which seems an especial favourite. In another case, they 

 eat only the small seed of a large fruit, of w'hich they destroy 

 immense quantities. The dui-ian [Durio zibethinus) is also a great 

 favourite, and the Mias destroys large quantities of this delicious 

 fruit, in places where it grows surrounded by lofty jungle, but 

 will not pass over clearings to get at them. It seems wonderful 

 how the animal can tear open this fruit, the outer covering of 

 which is so thick and tough, and densely covered with strong 

 conical spines. It probably bites a few of these ofi" first, and 

 then, making a small hole, tears the fruit open with its powerful 

 fingers. 



It has been said, that the huge canine teeth of the Orang are 

 for the purpose of defending himself against the tigers, bears, 

 and other carnivorous animals of the Eastern forests. Our ob- 

 servations and inquiries as to the habits of the animal convince 

 us, however, that no such explanation of this part of the animal's 

 structure is at all satisfactory. In the first place, neither the 

 tiger nor any other of the large carnivora are found in Borneo, 

 where the Orang is most abundant ; though in Sumatra the tiger 

 and the Mias are found together. In the second place, the tiger 

 cannot climb trees, and is therefore quite unable to attack the 

 Orang, which never need descend to the ground, and very 

 rarely does so. The Malayan Bear [Helardos Malayanus) is 

 the only animal which would have any chance whatever in 

 attacking him ; but as it is not carnivorous (or but slightly so), 

 it could have no object in commencing an attack in which it 



