ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES. ,145 
distinction by any of the numerous writers on the 
Land-Dayaks, and our own notes are unfortunately 
very meagre on the point, so we leave it with the 
suggestion that further inquiries would be of great 
interest. 
The wily Malay traders whose rations often comprise 
pieces of dried deer are not' slow to impose on the 
simple Dayak. They inform the Dayaks they are 
eating fried monkey, boiled bear or dried crocodile— 
anything in fact they know the Dayaks relish. Thus 
the Dayak is inveigled into partaking of a meal whose 
true nature, if he knew it, would cause him no little 
uneasiness. 
A Malay, if he learns that the guna in the pancha, at 
which he intends to pass*.a night or two, is pengaru 
bssa ( = lit. “very powerful” or perhaps it could be 
translated “very holy”), would not dare to bring up 
any deer’s flesh, fearing ill-luck would befall him ; so 
superstitious are they. 
Many Dayaks:do not caije about handling the rusa 
(deer) and will drag a dead beast by means of a long 
rotan rope to wherever they wish to deposit it. Al¬ 
though some Dayaks eat, deer they are very shy in 
mentioning the fact keeping the matter as quiet as 
possible for fear it should come to the ears of their 
women-folk when their chances of marriage might be 
seriously impaired. 
The restriction is rare among Bornean tribes and we 
believe it is practically only observed by the Land- 
Dayaks. | The custom is interesting as suggesting a 
survival of a former Hindu influence ; though we would 
observe that the Dayaks do not hesitate to slay the 
deer, who do considerable damage to their rice farms 
and gardens. 
F. F. Boult. 
t J. C. Moulton. 
Sarawak, 
December, 1910. 
t Dr. C. Hose states that, “the Kayans do not eat deer “Mourn. Anthrop. 
lnstit. 1894, XXIII. p. 159). 
