60 



BORNEO-^mE ORJNG'VTAN. 



[chap. it. 



nearly every case have found it on the same tree, or within 

 ii hundred yarda, when I returned, I never saw two full- 

 |irown animals together, but both males and females are 

 sometimes accompanied by half-growu youiirf ones, while, 

 at other timoB, thi-ee or four young ones were fieen in 

 cmnpany. Their food consists almost exclusively of fruil, 

 with occasionally leaves, buds, and young shoots. They 

 seiim to prefer unripe fruits, some of which were very sour 

 others intensely bitter, particularly the largo red,' fleshy 

 arilUis of one which seemed an especial favourite, lu 

 other ciises they eat only the small seed of a hii-ge fruit, 

 and tliey almost always waste and destroy more than thry 

 oat, so that there is a continual rain of rejected portinu.s 

 below the tree they are feeding on. The Uuiian is soi 

 especial favourite, and quantities of this delicious iVuit ant 

 destroyed wherever it grows surrounded by forest, hut they 

 will not cross clearinj^s to get at them. It seems won- 

 di-rfiil how the aninuil can tear open this fruit, the outer 

 covering of which is so thick and tougli, and closely 

 covered with strong conicd spines. It probably bites otf 

 a few of these first, and then, making a small hole, tears 

 open the fruit with its powerful fiinyers. 



The Mias rarely descends to the gi-ound, except when, 

 prfi,ssed by hun*,fer, it seeks for succulent slioots by the 

 river side; or, in very dry weather, has to search a ft^T 

 wiiter, of which it generally finds sulfieient in the hohows 

 of leaves. Once only I saw^ two half-grown Orangs on the 

 ground in a dry holiow at the foot of the Simaujon hilL 

 They were playing together, standing erect, antl grasping 

 each other l)y the arms. It may be safely stated, however, 

 that the Orang never walks erect, unless whun using its 

 baiiJ.s to support itself by branches overhead or wln^n 

 attacked. Iie])resen{ations of its walking with a stick 

 arc entirely imaginary. 



Tlie Dyaks all declare that the Mias is never attacked 

 1\v any animal in the forest, with two rare exceptions; and 

 the accounts I received of the.-^e am so curious that I give 

 them nearly in the -words of my informants, old Dyak 

 chiefs, who had lived all tlieir lives in the places where 

 the animal is most abundant. The first of whom I in- 

 quired said: "Ko animal is strong enougJi to hurt tlie 



