34 A NATURALIST IN BORNEO 



a good price in the market a fact which is mercifully 

 concealed from the British consumer. Though without 

 the prehensile tail, the Munsang is an adept at climbing 

 and moving about in trees. A captive specimen of mine 

 could walk along a stout wire stretched between two 

 posts, turn round in the middle and walk back to the 

 starting-point ; in this balancing feat the tail was waved 

 from side to side and served to maintain the equili- 

 brium. Both species of Paradoxurm have at times rather 

 a disagreeable odour, proceeding from the secretion of 

 glands under the tail. 



Closely allied to the Mimsangs is Hemlgale hardwickci ; 

 it is fawn-coloured with broad transverse bands of 

 chestnut-brown, which give the animal a conspicuous 

 appearance when removed from its natural haunts. In 

 its own surroundings, however, the alternate dark and 

 light bands serve to break up the outline of the body 

 and so render it almost invisible ; the striping of the 

 zebra has exactly the same effect. 



I have no personal acquaintance with any other of 

 the Viverridce, and will therefore pass on to the little 

 Malayan Honey-Bear, Ursus malayanus. This is one of 

 the smallest members of the bear-tribe ; when standing 

 upright on its hind-legs it does not attain five feet in 

 height. The hair is short and sleek, black in colour 

 except for a large cream-coloured patch like a torque 

 on the throat. The torque is hidden when the Bear 

 walks on all-fours, but is very conspicuous in the erect 

 attitude which he adopts when at bay, and Mr. Pocock 

 has suggested that this patch of colour is of the nature 

 of a warning signal to foes ; this is a bold attempt to 

 account for a very peculiar type of marking that un- 

 doubtedly must have some significance. When driven 



