1 62 THE MALAY PROVINCE 



reddish, or golden brown above, and light grey or nearly white below, with the 

 bare parts, namely, the face, ears, and buttocks, flesh-coloured or dark brown, while 

 the eyelids are in manj cases white or bluish white. These macaques are generally 

 found in troops of from fifteen to twenty in number, and are most abundant in 

 mangrove-thickets, where they subsist mainly on insects and crabs. Old males 

 attain a length of 22 inches, with a tail-length of 19 inches. The mouths of the 

 rivers of Tenasserim and Arakan, as well as the delta of the Irawadi, being the only 

 ways into the interior of the country, these macaques are so accustomed to the 

 presence of man that they will allow themselves to be approached quite close, and 

 will often follow vessels for some distance. Being good swimmers and divers, they 

 are almost as much at home in the water as on the banks and beaches where they 

 seek their food. The newly born young may be seen clinging to their mothers at 

 all times of the year. If its offspring attempts to let go its hold the mother tries to 

 soothe it by patting it on the head, and pressing it with a serious air to her breast, 

 the screaming and chattering youngster behaving all the time like an obstinate 

 baby. The young of this docile and amusing monkey soon become tame, and the 

 females always remain gentle, although the males grow morose and malicious in 

 old age. 



The second species, the pig-tailed monkey (M. nemestrinus), is characterised 

 by its short and stout body, its long and muscular limbs, and prolonged muzzle. 

 The hair is generally short, but somewhat longer on the shoulders than elsewhere. 

 The tail, which is slender and pig-like, is about a third the length of the body, and 

 is carried erect. In general colour this species is yellowish brown above, and 

 lighter below, with the head dark brown or black. A broad black stripe runs 

 down the back, and the tail is in all cases black at the base and pale yellowish 

 brown at the tip. The length of the head and body averages about 18^ inches, 

 and that of the tail 8 inches. The pig-tailed macaque inhabits the greater part of 

 Tenasserim, especially the south, as well as southern Burma, the Malay Peninsula, 

 and Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. In Sumatra it is trained by the natives to pluck 

 and carry down cocoa-nuts from the trees. A peculiarity of this monkey is its 

 habit of bending- its tail in a double curve when excited. 



Of the family of man-like apes (which are unknown in India 

 proper) there are several Malay representatives. Of these the gibbons, 

 which are peculiar to this tract, are characterised by their slender bodies, and their 

 inordinately long arms, which touch the ground when the animals walk or stand 

 erect. One of the best-known species, the hulok (Hylobates huloc), is almost con- 

 fined to mountainous forests, and inhabits the lower ranges of Bhutan, Assam, Sylhet, 

 Cachar,Manipur, Chittagong, Arakan, and the Irawadi Valleynear Bhamo. Like most 

 other gibbons, the hulok is generally found in troops of fifty to a hundred or more, 

 only the old males leading a solitary life. The males are black, and the females 

 brownish black or whitish brown in colour. The length is about 20 inches ; the arms 

 measure about 24 inches, and the legs 19 inches ; and the height, when standing erect, 

 is about 31 inches. This gibbon is exclusively arboreal, and, assisted by its long arms, 

 is able to leap enormous distances from branch to branch and from tree to tree ; 

 it descends mountains with surprising agility, grasping bamboo stems or branches, 

 bending them down by its weight, and letting them go as soon as it is able to reach the 



