chap, iv.] HABITS AND FOOD. 93 



Mias covers himself over with leaves of pandanus, or large 

 ferns, which has perhaps led to the story of his making 

 a hut in the trees.' 



The Orang does not leave his bed till the suh has well 

 risen and has dried up the dew upon the leaves. He 

 feeds all through the middle of the day, but seldom 

 returns to the same tree two days running. They do not 

 seem much alarmed at man, as they often stared down 

 upon me for several minutes, and then only moved away 

 slowly to an adjacent tree. After seeing one, I have often 

 had to go half a mile or more to fetch my gun, and in 

 nearly every case have found it on the same tree, or within 

 a hundred yards, "when I returned. I never saw two full- 

 grown animals together, but both males and females are 

 sometimes accompanied by half-grown young ones, while, 

 at other times, three or four young ones were seen in 

 company. Their food consists almost exclusively of fruit, 

 with occasionally leaves, buds, and young shoots. They 

 seem to prefer unripe fruits, some of which were very sour, 

 others intensely bitter, particularly the large red, fleshy 

 arillus of one which seemed an especial favourite. In 

 other cases they eat only the small seed of a large fruit, 

 and they almost always waste and destroy more than they 

 eat, so that there is a continual rain of rejected portions 

 below the tree they are feeding on. The Durian is an 

 especial favourite, and quantities of this delicious fruit are 



