36 A NATURALIST IN BORNEO 



for pulling the nests to pieces, but otherwise the creature 

 shows no modification of structure adapted to this diet, 

 as do the Ant-Eaters and the Scaly Manis. Perhaps it is 

 the enormously distended queen Termite which is the 

 dainty sought by the Bear. In captivity this animal 

 flourishes on fruit, and no doubt in a wild state this is 

 also a regular item in a very catholic menu. When 

 young, Malayan Bears are amusing and docile pets, but 

 as they grow older they are apt to grow vicious and, 

 on account of their strength, dangerous. When irritated 

 the adult utters a loud bark. 



The great order Rodcntia is well represented in Borneo 

 by sixteen species of Squirrels, twelve species of Rats, 

 and three species of Porcupines. 



The beautiful Flying Squirrels of the genera Petaurista 

 and Sciuropterus are not very common ; the most 

 abundant species is Petaurista nitida. It measures about 

 1 8 inches in body-length and the tail is equally long ; 

 the colour of the fur is a rich maroon-chestnut above, 

 becoming almost black on the spine and paler on 

 the belly. In Petaurista a flap of skin extends from the 

 outer border of each fore-limb along the sides of the 

 body on to the hind-limbs ; the flaps are somewhat 

 triangular in shape, being broader in front than behind. 

 From the outermost wrist-bones springs a stout, curved, 

 cartilaginous spur, which is embedded in the front edge 

 of the parachute skin-flap and serves to stiffen it ; the 

 bones of the arm are long and very slender. The car- 

 tilaginous spur is capable of a certain amount of 

 movement, for when the Squirrel is not taking a para- 

 chute flight it lies almost in a line with the bones of the 

 fore-arm, but when the parachute is spread it projects 

 at almost a right angle to the wrist, thus drawing the 



