8 A NATURALIST IN BORNEO 



to all sorts of purposes. The great anatomist, Goodsir, 

 has pointed out that while the hand of an ape is well 

 fitted to grasp a cylindrical object like the branch of a 

 tree, it is unable to grasp a spherical object properly. 



I found it very interesting to compare the methods 

 of drinking adopted by the Maias, the Gibbon, and the 

 common Macaque of Borneo. The first, if offered 

 drink in a bowl placed on the ground before it, will 

 generally bend down and drink out of the bowl with- 

 out handling it. The Macaque lifts the bowl up, if 

 not too heavy, with both hands and drinks out of it 

 very much as a man would drink. The Gibbon dips 

 one hand into the bowl and then, throwing the head 

 back, sucks the moisture off the hair on the back of the 

 hand ; it is a very characteristic action, and it is repeated 

 again and again until the thirst is satisfied. 



There are two common Macaques in Borneo, and 

 one rare species, Macacus arctoides, which I have never 

 seen either alive or dead. Macacus nemestrinus, the 

 pig-tailed Macaque, or Brok of the Malays, is a highly 

 intelligent animal, and Malays train them to pick 

 coconuts. The modus operandi is as follows : A cord 

 is fastened round the monkey's waist, and it is led to 

 a coconut palm which it rapidly climbs, it then lays 

 hold of a nut, and if the owner judges the nut to be 

 ripe for plucking he shouts to the monkey, which then 

 twists the nut round and round till the stalk is broken 

 and lets it fall to the ground ; if the monkey catches 

 hold of an unripe nut, the owner tugs the cord and 

 the monkey tries another. I have seen a Brok act as 

 a very efficient fruit-picker, although the use of the 

 cord was dispensed with altogether, the monkey being 

 guided by the tones and inflections of his master's voice. 



