THE LONG-NOSED MONKEY. 395 



lighted their fires, and squatted for the night among the 

 creatures of the swamp. 



During our ascent of this river, I had numerous op- 

 portunities of observing the habits of the Kahau, or 

 Proboscis Monkey, in his native woods ; for in the forests 

 of this part of Borneo, he forms a veiy conspicuous feature, 

 and occurs in great numbers ; and although the Semno- 

 pithecus nasicus, or Nasalis larvatus, is tolerably well 

 known, yet I am inclined to make a few observations on 

 its history, from having had so many opportunities of 

 examining it in a state of nature. The best account of 

 the animal I have seen, is in an excellent work called the 

 ' Menageries.' 



In their native woods these Semnopitheci are not so 

 agile as many of their quadrumanous consimilars, but 

 climb and walk in a more deliberate manner. Their 

 physiognomy is of a melancholy aspect, to which the pro- 

 minent nasal organ lends a somewhat ludicrous expres- 

 sion. When excited and angry, the female resembles 

 some tanned and peevish hag, snarling and shrewish. 

 They progress on all fours, and sometimes while on 

 the ground, raise themselves upright and look about 

 them. When they sleep, they squat like the Dyaks on 

 their hams, and bow their heads upon the breast. When 

 disturbed, they utter a short impatient cry, between a 

 sneeze and a scream, like that of a spoilt and passionate 

 child ; and in the selection of their food, they appear very 

 dainty, frequently destroying a fruit, and hardly tasting 

 it. When they emit their peculiar wheezing or hissing 

 sound, they avert and wrinkle the nose, and open the 

 mouth wide. 



