176 An Orang Hunt in Borneo 



carrying the larger and the Orang Kaya the smaller of the two. 

 The animals were both the "mias rombi" of the Dyaks. They 

 recognize three distinct varieties, the '*mias chappin" or largest, 

 the "mias rombi" or medium and the "mias Kassa," or smallest 

 variety. The "mias chappin" is always a huge beast with very 

 long red hair on the breast, shoulders and arms, and is character- 

 ized by large cheek callosities. These give the face a peculiarly 

 ugly and ferocious expression. The canine teeth are long, pro- 

 jecting far beyond the others, so that the expression of an enraged 

 animal is extremely ferocious. 



-The female of this variety does not posses the cheek callosi- 

 ties, nor is she so large. The ''mias rombi" is very similar to 

 the "mias chappin" but lacks the cheek callosities. Usually 

 too it is somewhat smaller and has shorter hair. The "mias 

 Kassa" is quite small, almost a^ dwarf. These are the varieties 

 recognized by the Dyaks. Among naturalists some difference 

 of opinion has existed as to the number of species of the orang, 

 and two have usually been recognized, ''Simia satyrus" and 

 ''Simla wurmbii." Mr. Charles Hose, in his recent monograph 

 on the "Mammals of Borneo," recognized but a single species. 

 This is the opinion now held by many naturalists, the differences 

 in size, length of hair, cheek callosities, etc., being partly sexual 

 and partly accidental. 



. The day after the successful hunt, we continued on up the 

 river almost to its source, as far as Gunong Bulan (moon hills). 

 After four or five days of hard work we had captured but one 

 orang, a thin sickly-looking female which the Dyaks insisted 

 had malarial fever. They maintain that the orang is as much 

 subject to fever as is man, that when afflicted the animal will 

 lie in the nest for days, groaning loudly during this time, and 

 that as a result of the fever, it becomes greatly emaciated. We 

 had here a positive proof of one of these facts, for this animal 

 looked as poor as did many a native whom I had seen, who had 

 had malarial fever for some weeks. That the animal groans I 

 afterwards had a chance personally to verify. In fact it seems 

 perfectly rational that the orang can be afflicted with this dis- 

 ease, just as can any person who is so unfortunate as to live in 

 the swamp, where the malarial plasmodium is ubiquitous. 



On our way back we secured one more orang, and its cap- 

 ture shows well the pleasures of hunting in a Borneo swamp. 



