XV ANIMISTIC BELIEFS 99 



occurrence, whether in the past or as a still flourish- 

 ing institution, can but increase the wonder with 

 which we have to regard its wide distribution. 



Secondly, we have in the total absence of totemism 

 among the Punans very strong ground for rejecting 

 the suggestion of its previous existence among the 

 Kenyahs. For in physical characters, in language, 

 and, as far as the difference in the mode of life 

 permits, in customs and beliefs, the Punans resemble 

 the Kenyahs so closely that we must assume them 

 to be closely allied by blood ; and it seems probable 

 that the Punans have merely persisted in the 

 cultural condition from which the Kenyahs and 

 other tribes have been raised by the adoption of 

 agriculture and the practice of building substantial 

 houses. Yet, as we have said, the Punans, although 

 in that condition of nomadic hunters which is prob- 

 ably the most favourable to the development and 

 persistence of totemism, observe hardly any restric- 

 tions in their hunting, and in fact seem to kill and 

 eat with equal freedom almost every bird and beast 

 of the jungle, shooting them with the blow-pipe and 

 poisoned darts with consummate skill. The only 

 exceptions to this rule are, so far as we know, the 

 omen-birds, a carnivore, and a lizard, and, as we 

 have said, it seems doubtful whether even these are 

 excepted in the case of Punans who have not had 

 much intercourse with other peoples. 



Thirdly, although it may be said that even at 

 the present time many of the features of the religious 

 side of totemism are present, we have not been able 

 to discover any traces of a social organisation based 

 upon totemism. There is no trace of any general 

 division of the people of any tribe into groups which 

 claim specially intimate relations with different 

 animals, except in the case of the Klemantans ; and 

 in their case such special relations seem to be the 

 result merely of the different conditions under 



