CHAP. IT.] 



HABITS OF THE MIAS. 



59 



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 hetwcen these limbs is 

 increased by his Avalking on his knuckles, not on the palm 

 of the hand, as we sliould do. lie seems always to choose 

 those branches wliich intermingle with an adjoining tree, 

 (in approaching which he stretches out his long arms, and, 

 seizing the opposing boughs, grasps them together with 

 both hands, seenis to try their strength, and then die- 

 liberately swings himself across to the next branch, on 

 which he walks along as befoie. He never jumps or 

 springs, or even appears to hurry himself, and yet manages 

 to get along almost as quiekly as a person can run through 

 the forest beneath. The long and powerful arms are of 

 the greatest use to the animal, en^ibling it elimb ea.sily 

 up the loftiest trees, to seize fruits and young leaves from 

 slender boughs which will not bear its weight, and to 

 gather leaves and branches with wlucli to form its nest. 

 1 have already described how it Ibrms a nest wlien 

 wounded, but it uses a similar one to sleep on almost 

 every night. Tliis is placed low down, however, on a 

 small tree not more than from twenty to fifty feet from 

 the gronnd, probably because it is warmer and less ex- 

 jiosed to M'iiid than higher up. Eacii Mias is said to 

 iiuike a fresh one for himself every night; but I should 

 think that is hardly probable, or their remains would be 

 much more abundant ; for though 1 saw several about the 

 coal-mines, there must have been many Orangs about every 

 day, and in a year their deserted nests would become very 

 numerous. The Dyaks say that, when it is very wet, the 

 Mias covers himself over with leaves of paudanus, or large 

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

 a hut in the trees. 



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

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

 feeds all through the middle of the da}', but seldom 

 rctmus to the same tr-ee two days rumiing. They do not 

 seem mucli alarmed at man. as tliey often stared down 

 upon me for several miimtes, and then only moved away 

 slowly to an adjacent tree. After seeing one, 1 have often 

 liad to go hall' a mile or more to fetch my gun, and in 



