230 ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



But, though possessed of immense strength, it is rare 

 for the Orang to attempt to defend itself, especially when 

 attacked with fire-arms. On such occasions he endeavours 

 to hide himself, or to escape along the topmost branches 

 of the trees, breaking off and throwing down the boughs as 

 he goes. When wounded he betakes himself to the highest 

 attainable point of the tree, and emits a singular cry, con- 

 sisting at first of high notes, which at length deepen into a 

 low roar, not unlike that of a panther. While giving out 

 the high notes the Orang thrusts out his lips into a funnel 

 shape ; but in uttering the low notes he holds his mouth 

 wide open, and .at the same time the great throat bag, or 

 laryngeal sac, becomes distended. 



According to the Dyaks, the only animal the Orang 

 measures his strength with is the crocodile, who occasionally 

 seizes him on his visits to the water side. But they say 

 that the Orang is more than a match for his enemy, and 

 beats him to death, or rips up his throat by pulling the 

 jaws asunder I 



Much of what has been here stated was probably de- 

 rived by Dr. Miiller from the reports of his Dyak hunters ; 

 but a large male, four feet high, lived in captivity, under 

 his observation, for a month, and receives a very bad 

 character. 



" He was a very wild beast," says Miiller, " of prodigious 

 strength, and false and wicked to the last degree. If any 

 one approached he rose up slowly with a low growl, fixed 

 his eyes in the direction in which he meant to make his 

 attack, slowly passed his hand between the bars of his 

 cage, and then extending his long arm, gave a sudden 

 grip usually at the face." He never tried to bite 

 (though Orangs will bite one another), his great weapons 

 of offence and defence being his hands. 



His intelligence was very great ; and Miiller remarks, 

 that though the faculties of the Orang have been estimated 

 too highly, yet Cuvier, had he seen this specimen, would 

 not have considered its intelligence to be only a little 

 higher than that of the dog. 



His hearing was very acute, but the sense of vision 



of rage, uttering at intervals a loud pumping grunt, and evidently 

 meaning mischief." " On the Habits of the Orang-Utan," Annals 

 of Nat. History, 1856. This statement, it will be observed, is quite 

 in accordance with that contained in the letter of the Resident Palm 

 quoted above (p. 210). 



