A)i Orang Hunt in Borneo 179 



times a pair of rather young ones may be found, or perhaps, 

 an old female with a young one of two years and another in 

 arms. My hunter Pasang said that he once met four feeding 

 together, but they were all small. The old males always go 

 alone, meeting occasionally, when a royal battle in the trees is 

 apt to follow. The marks of these fierce conflicts can usually 

 be found on an old male, a finger bitten off or a piece of the 

 lip gone showing how savagely they fight. 



Stories of orangs throwing cocoanuts at hunters are all 

 travelers' tales. Their only foundation is in the fact that an 

 old female with young, if attacked, will break off large branches 

 from the tree, and drop them down at any one who happens to 

 be underneath. This I have myself seen, and so active was the 

 animal in her work, that it was dangerous to remain under 

 the tree as branches as thick as one's wrist came crashing down 

 at frequent intervals. 



The most remarkable instance of sagacity, or, as it seemed 

 to me, reason, that I ever saw exhibited by an orang, was by 

 an old female carrying a young one of two or three months. 

 The young is always carried astride the hip, the little one holding 

 on to the long hair of its mother with both hands and feet. On 

 the occasion referred to, we met an old female with young, and 

 as we were desirous of securing the young one alive I aimed to 

 inflict a fatal wound without injuring the little one. On being 

 struck the mother loosed the hold of her feet and hung at 

 full length by the arms. Seeing that she would fall in a few 

 moments, I refrained from firing a second shot in spite of re- 

 peated requests from my guide Pasang, who seemed much con- 

 cerned because I did not shoot again. Presently one arm 

 dropped and I held myself in readiness to rush forward and 

 secure the young one before it could drown. But just at that 

 moment the mother, realizing that she herself must fall, reached 

 up grasped the young one, tore it forcibly from her, and, after 

 placing it carefully on the branch above, fell. It may have been 

 instinct, but certainly nothing better could have been done under 

 similar circumstances, by a human being. 



A young one of six months, purchased of the Dyaks, though 

 at first very savage, soon became a great pet with me. It was 

 never so happy as when close by me, and if I would permit it, 

 would sleep contentedly with its arms about me. The only time 



