78 ANIMATED NATURE. 



with very rich brown fur of a fine texture, are very rare 

 in Europe, and others are unknown to zoologists. 

 Squirrels are very numerous, and some of them are of 

 great beauty. The little Sciurus Rafflesiana is amongst 

 the most common and pretty. One species is very 

 large, and of a black colour ; another resembles in 

 form the hare, being also nearly equal in size. Their 

 flesh is much valued by the Dyaks, and they will doubt- 

 less hereafter be prized for the tables of Europeans. 



Monkeys are found in infinite variety, and of the 

 most rare and curious kinds : the true orang utan is 

 a native of no other country, and notwithstanding the 

 fabulous accounts of its resemblance to the human 

 species, which have so often amused the world, there 

 is still a sufficient degree of similarity to render the 

 comparison disgusting. It is found in the old jungles 

 on the banks of rivers in some parts of the island, 

 but not in the Sarawak territory, nor in that of Sam- 

 bas; the tract of country between the Sadong and 

 Batang Lupar rivers extending across the island 

 in the direction of Pontianak, are the favourite haunts 

 of this strange animal. Two species of it have been 

 seen by Europeans, the larger called ' mias pappan,' 

 and the smaller, or ' mias rambi.' They are dis- 

 tinguished from each other by the greater size, more 

 abundant and long red hair, and the large processes 

 on each side of the head of the former ; though both 

 are found in the same forests, the breed is said by 

 the natives never to be mixed : they do not attain the 

 large size which has been attributed to them, and it is 

 probable they rarely exceed five feet when measured from 



