THE OURANG-OUTANG. 553 



to his great strengtli and his powerful canine teeth, is not afraid 

 of any other animal, and does not want to drive them away, while 

 the parental instinct of the female leads her to adopt this mode 

 of defending herself and her young ones." 



Some peculiarities in the habits of these animals, especially 

 with regard to those frequenting one district of Borneo, and 

 being quite unknown in another, is commented on by Mr. Wallace, 

 who states that when the mode of life and habits of these crea- 

 tures are known, a sufficient reason is apparent for the anomaly 

 in that the physical features of the different districts varies con- 

 siderably, some being suitable, and others unsuitable for their 

 mode of life, for " it seems to me probable," continues this 

 traveller, " that a wide extent of unbroken and equally lofty 

 virgin forest is necessary to the comfortable existence of these 

 animals. Such forests form their open country, where they can 

 roam in every direction with as much facility as the Indian on the 

 prairie, or the Arab on the desert ; passing from tree-top to tree- 

 top without ever being obliged to descend upon the earth. The 

 elevated and the drier districts are more frequented by man, more 

 cut up by clearings and low, second-growth jungle, not adapted 

 to its peculiar mode of progression, and where it would therefore 

 be more exposed to danger, and more frequently obliged to 

 descend upon the earth." 



" It is a singular and very interesting sight to watch a mias 

 making his way leisurely through the forest. He walks deli- 

 berately along some of the larger branches in the semi-erect 

 attitude which the great length of his arms and the shortness of 

 his legs cause him naturally to assume; and the disproportion 

 between these limbs is increased by his walking on his knuckles, 

 not on the palm of the hand, as we should do. He seems always 

 to choose those branches which intermingle with an adjoining 

 tree, on approaching which he stretches out his long arms, and 

 seizing the opposing boughs, grasps them together with both 

 hands, seems to try their strength, and then deliberately swings 

 himself across to the next branch, on which he walks along as 

 before. He never jumps or springs, or even appears to hurry 

 himself, and yet manages to get along almost as quickly as a 



