IN BORNEAN FORESTS [chap. 



set almost flat on the ground. In the orang-utan the adaptation 

 to an arboreal existence is so far developed that its hands and feet 

 have become very like hooks, and without much muscular exertion 

 the creature can suspend itself by them to the branches. In fact, 

 the phalanges themselves are curved, and it keeps its fingers always 

 naturally bent. The palm of the hand and the sole of the foot 

 can never be stretched, nor can they be placed flat on the ground. 



The Dyaks tell many a tale about women being carried off by 

 orang-utans. No doubt the thing in itself is possible, for an adult 

 male Mayas is certainly strong enough to carry off a woman. 

 But that this actually happens, and happens, moreover, from sexual 

 reasons, is an assertion which only deserves to be left as the subject 

 of a romance to some Dyak novelist of the future. 



The best season for hunting orang-utans is when the fruit is 

 getting ripe,and it is then not difficult to find five or six, or even more, 

 on the same tree. During the time I was at Marop, the Mayas 

 were wandering all over the forest in search of food, and it was 

 therefore less easy to find them, still less to find several together. 

 Yet I saw as many as eight in one day, and four together on the 

 same tree. 



The Mayas Tj aping is less common than the Mayas Kassa; 

 but the Dyaks affirm that many of the former are seen about the 

 villages when the durians are ripe. 



I have never seen orang-utans throw branches of trees at the 

 hunter who is after them, but in passing from one tree to another 

 they may easily detach dead branches by their weight, or when 

 wounded in their nests may shake down branches already detached. 

 Wallace, however {Op. cit. i. p. 87), tells us that on one occasion 

 he was obliged to get away from under a durian tree on account 

 of the shower of branches and spiny fruits which a female orang- 

 utan with several small ones endeavoured to throw at him. No 

 naturalist traveller merits more implicit faith than does Wallace, 

 and certainly I am not the one to throw any doubt on his state- 

 ment. Nor does the case appear to me improbable ; for it is in accord- 

 ance with the nature of many apes and monkeys to become much 

 excited when disturbed with fruit or other food in their possession, 

 and in the instance related by Wallace, the orang, seeing a man 

 approach the tree, evidently thought that he was going to drive 

 her away, and prevent her from eating the durians, a fruit to which 

 they are extremely partial. 



Again, I have never noticed that orangs seek cover behind the 

 branches when a hunter takes aim at them with his gun. On the 

 contrary, I have always seen them lean forward and even get clear 

 of branches to see better when a man approaches, prompted, no 

 doubt, by a sentiment of curiosity to get a better view of a being 

 whom they certainly must perceive bears a considerable resem- 



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