12 A NATURALIST IN BORNEO 



All the other monkeys of Borneo belong to the 

 Semnopithecince, and fall into two genera Nasalis and 

 Semnopithecus. 1 Of the former genus only one species 

 has been found, Nasalis larvatus, and it is not known 

 to occur elsewhere. The adult male has a large fleshy 

 nose, which droops at the end almost over the mouth, 

 but in the young male and in the female the nose is 

 smaller and is distinctly retrousse. This is not the only 

 monkey in the world with a well-marked nose, for there 

 are two species of Rhinopithecus from China with sharply 

 upturned noses. The Malay name for Nasalis is " Orang 

 Blanda," or " Dutchman," a poor compliment to our 

 friends across the water. "Blanda" is, however, certainly 

 used by Malays very often as an adjective signifying 

 inferiority or coarseness, in the same way as we prefix 

 the word "horse" to certain words. Just as we talk 

 of "horse-chestnuts" and "horse-radish" so do the 

 Malays call the "Soursop" Anona muricata [Note 2, 

 p. 312], which is rather like, but much inferior to, the 

 true Durian, " Durian Blanda." 2 



The Nasalis lives in small troops in trees growing in 

 swampy lands, and it feeds almost entirely on the fruit 

 and young shoots of the " Pedada," Sonneratia lanceolata. 

 As it is well known that all the Semnopithecince have 

 complex ruminating stomachs, and are purely herbivorous 

 in their diet, I was surprised to see, in the Field 



1 Now known, I believe, as Presbytcs. 



" The word "blanda" certainly means "foreign," being simply 

 a corruption of " Hollander." I should suggest that the long-nosed 

 ape is called "Orang Blanda" directly from its nose being like 

 that of a Dutchman (or European foreigner). In Timor Laut the 

 native, when he wants to carve a Dutchman, gives him a peaked 

 hat and a very sharp-pointed nose, the latter being a distinctive 

 character of the carving. H. N. R. 



