Ch. XIII.] BORNE AN aUADEUPEDS. 217 



pains of caring for so huge a beast. There can be little 

 doubt, however, of their presence, although they may be 

 rare ; but the country is weU adapted for them, and, once 

 introduced, there does, not appear any reason why they 

 should not flourish. Deer and Wild cattle are almost the 

 only other known quadrupeds of any considerable size ; for, 

 although there are numerous small species, no large feline 

 animals exist in Borneo, the most considerable being a 

 species of arboreal panther (Felis macrocehs). Pigs mono- 

 polise the forest as far as the earth is concerned, and in 

 their passage across rivers form an abundant supply of food 

 to the alligators, which seem particularly partial to pork, 

 probably because most easily obtained. 



But the animals which are most characteristic of this part 

 of the world are the Quadrumana (monkeys). Being essen- 

 tially arboreal in their habits, they have flourished freely, 

 and their species have multiplied indefinitely ; so that a vast 

 variety of them inhabit the Bornean jungles, many of which 

 are probably undescribed. Among them the largest are pro- 

 bably not inferior to the great equatorial African apes in size, 

 and of these orangs or mias there are two species, while most 

 other old-world families have their representatives here. 



The only domesticated animals which the Dyaks keep are 

 dogs and fowls. The dogs are small, prick-eared, and sharp- 

 snouted. They do not bark like ojir dogs ; but at the same 

 time they cannot be said to be voiceless, for they howl most 

 musically. Their fowls are of a small breed, and have not 

 yet been improved by any admixture of races from Europe. 

 Geese and ducks do not trouble the Dyaks, though the 

 latter are kept by the Malays. In a street of Kuching I 

 observed a fowl which arrested my attention by its rich 

 Kght pink tint, very deHcately shaded over the large feathers. 



