Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-05
GIANT APES IN BoRNEo.
Some Curious Fscts About Alleged Cousins
OF Man That Live In Trces.
ssNFY ACQUAINTANCE WITH APES

some Nuf7oue focta ABOUT Alleged cousins
OF Man That Live In Trces.
ssNfY ACQUAINTANCE WITH APES
AI has been chiefly made in Borneo."
said Prof. Henry A. Ward, the famous natural
science collector OF Rochester. to a STAR re-
porter the other day. THAT great island is
the home Of the oraug, which 10 the most
arborea Of all monkeys The animals live in trees
altogether. rarely, il ever. visiting the ground
II takes two good marksmea TO shoot one, be-
couse they dodge around the trunks. They do
all their fighting aiott and IL 10 great fun to see
them drop the armfuls Of fruit they have
gathered in contests for its possession. They
are plentiful in the low lands near the coast IL
Is rarely that anybody ventures into the int
nor. because there the head-hunting natives
prowl. Among them each man is required 10
nave secured 3 head before he lie permitted to
marry, and on this account the Young gentle
men savages are continually looking about for
somebody to kill. This makes travelling dis
agreeable.
NESTS OF oRAxss
"One Of the most noticeable features Of the
landscape in Borneo lie the nests Of orangs
which are scattered about thickly among the
tall trees. From their number one might get q
greatly exaggerated impression Of the plenti-
futness OF the species. unless il were under
| stood how and for what purpose these roosting
places are constructed. The beasts are greatly
annoyed by flies, from which they are able TO
protect the front part OF their bodies with their
hands, but they cannot keep the vicious insects
from biting them in the rear, and 50 they
| gamer quantity Of leaves and branches aud
make them into couches to reposc against
among the boughs. protection Of this sort
| serves very well for while. but presently it's
material begins to decompose and the decaying
leaves attract the flies, which he orang is so
| anxious to get rid OF. Then he is obliged TO
make another nest of fresh stuff and 50 he may
require dozens of them in the course Of year.
| lnasmuch as he does not take the trouble TO
| remove the old ones. they remain to adorn the
tree top IN which he swings himself about
| CURIOUS METHODS OF fIGHrISa.
"Orangs have very curious method Of fight
ing. In their conflicts among themselves.
which are frequent. their effort is always TO
seize the fingers Of their adversaries and bite
them. very beautiful group of these ami
mails at the National Museum, mounted by Mr..
Hornaday, admirably illustrates a typical en-
| counter OF the sort II is owing to this method
| OF battle that 1t Is almost impossible to procure
| a skin which does not lack some of the fingers.
IL defending itself against man the beast will
| always attempt TO grab the arms of his human
| opponent as to chew off his fingers. For
tins purpose its jaw il excellently adapted,
eeinS enormously powerful and equipped with
| huge incisors.
| TIE rAroRfTE FOOD
OF the orang is the 'durion' fruit, which is
perhaps. the most delicious in the world. unit
ing, as it does. the favors Of the peach. the
pear and the strawberry. Like most things
| nearly perfect, however, this fruit has draw
| back-namely. that 1t leaves taste in the
! mouth the next day after it is eaten which i,
more abominable than can either be described
or conceived. To protect itself from the rair
| the orang crooks its arms over its head. Tho
hair on the orang's upper arm points down
| ward. while on the lower arm il points upward
the apparent purpose being to shed the rain
like thateh when the attitude have described
il assumed.
| NATURAL ACROBAT.
''The other great ape which makes its home
in Borneo is the Gibbon, which is a small ami.
NAL compared with the orang. weighing only
about forty or fifty pounds 1t is very frail in
its bodily makeup. The head is set SQUARED,
| upon the shoulders and il looks upward. When
| walking on the ground it balances itself along
like a walker on the tight rope. Its remarka-
BILE power Of grasp and dexterity in using It'd
hands is equally with the shape Of its Uranium
| an index Of its superior intelligence, perhaps
because it is able to take hold of a greater mum
Der Of things and examine them. The Gibbou
| Is natural acrobat Its trapeze performances
| in trees are simply marvellous.
''The animals go in droves whereas orangs
live by families. and one Of the most interesting
spectacles imaginable is to see troop OF them
crossing great gap in the forest by throwing
themselves in succession through the air, each
one taking a swing or two to gather momen-
tum before launching himself. So great is their
agility that in executing feats OF this sort they
! seem like birds.
Natives in the countries inhabited by great
apes regard them always as human beings OF
inferior types, and it is for this reason that for
a long time it was found impossible to get hold
OF an entire gorilla skin, because the ssvages
| considered it religiously necessary to cut of
| the hands and feet Of the animals when they
killed them, just as they do with their enemies,
| possibly for the purpose of rendering them
harmless in case they should by any chance
come to life again"