THE ORANG-UTAN. 13

forest; and even when obstructions below (such as wading
up to the neck) allowed them to get away some distance,
they were sure to stop and allow us to come up. I never
observed the slightest attempt at defence; and the wood,
which sometimes rattled about our ears, was broken by
their weight, and not thrown, as some persons represent.
If pushed to extremity, however, the pappan could not be
otherwise than formidable; and one unfortunate man, who
with a party was trying to catch one alive, lost two of his
fingers, besides being severely bitten on the face, whilst the
animal finally beat off his pursuers and escaped. When
hunters wish to catch an adult, they cut down a circle of
trees round the one on which he is seated, and then fell
that also, and close before he can recover himself, and
endeavour to bind him. The rude hut which they are
stated to build in the trees would be more properly called
a seat, or nest, for it has no roof or cover ofany sort. The
facility with which they form this seat is curious; and I had
an opportunity of seeing a wounded female weave the
branches together, and seat herself in a minute. She after-
wards received our fire without moving, and expired in her
lofty abode, whence it cost us much trouble to dislodge her.
The adult male I killed was seated lazily on a tree; and
when approached only took the trouble to interpose the
trunk between us, peeping at me and dodging as I dodged.
I hit him on the wrist, and he was afterwards despatched.”
The Walk In locomotion the orang disdains the earth
ofthe and perambulates the vernal terraces of the
Orang-utan forest trees. “It is a singular sight,” says Mr.
Wallace, “to watch a mias (orang-utan) making his way
leisurely through a forest. He walks deliberately 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 seems always to choose those
branches which intermingle with an adjoining tree, on