WHO COMES HERE? 3 



along some large branch, these animals walk in a semi-erect attitude, steadying them- 

 selves at times by placing the knuckles of the hand of one of the long arms upon 

 the bark. When the branches of an adjoining tree are reached, they are seized 

 with both hands, but before the animal is willing to trust himself to them he pulls 

 with all his strength, and, satisfied that they will bear his weight, swings himself 

 in an easy curve into the next tree, and in this way soon traverses a large extent 

 of the forest. 



The grimaces of these animals, and their modes of shewing satisfaction or 

 aversion, especially when young, are very ludicrous and amusing — being in many 

 instances the counterpart of the actions of spoilt children. One that Wallace had 

 when in Borneo was particularly diverting, for whenever it received a morsel 

 peculiarly to its liking, it licked its lips, drew in its cheeks, and turned up its eyes 

 with an expression of the most supreme satisfaction. On the other hand, if its 

 food was not palatable, it would roll the morsel around with its tongue for a 

 moment, and then push it out between the lips. Should the same food be con- 

 tinued, it immediately began to scream and kick, like a baby in a passion. On 

 being brought to the house, it seemed to be always holding its hands in the air 

 as if desirous of grasping something, and it was greatly pleased whenever it could get 

 hold of Wallace's beard, to which it clung so firmly that he could not free himself 

 without assistance. In order to satisfy it, he had an artificial mother made of a piece 

 of buffalo skin rolled up in a bundle, and hung about a foot from the floor. This 

 appeared to suit it exactly, and it sprawled about, stretching its legs in every 

 direction, always finding a tuft of hair to grasp. The resemblance to its mother 

 must have been too striking, for, as it was quite a young animal, it soon began to try 

 to suckle. The result was unfortunate, for it only got its mouth full of wool, upon 

 which it became very much disgusted and screamed violently ; and, having on 

 one occasion been nearly choked, its owner was obliged to take the counterfeit 

 parent away. 



Apes do not have many enemies beside man, particularly those species of 

 such large size as the Gorilla and its allies. In Borneo, where one of the largest 

 species dwells, the Ourang-outang, Wallace states that the natives declare it is never 

 attacked by any animal in the forest, with perhaps two rare exceptions, these being 

 the Crocodile and the Python. The way in which he meets the former is explained 

 as follows. When the fruits fail in the forest, he goes to the river-side to seek for 



