The Coconino sun. [volume] (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1891-1891, 1891-10-22
GREAT APES OF BORNEO.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
ANTHRoPoIDs.
Able Bodied orans- oatangs vino live In
Trsos-n Takss Two Men to
Shoot One--Their Peculiar
Method of Fighting. z

l
my aoqueintance with apes has
been chiefly made in Borneo," said
Prof A. Ward the famous natur al
science collector of Rochester, to a
Washington Star reporter the othef
day. That great island Is the home
lm the orang which is the most arbor-
cal of all monkeys. The animals live
10 trees altogether, rarely, II ever
visiting the ground, 1t takes tw0
good marksn,eh 10 Shoot one. because
ltbes Dodge around the trunks. They
do all their fighting aloft and IL Is
great fun to see them drop the arm
fuls OF fruit they have gathered In con +.
tests for its possession. They arc
plentiful In the low lands hear the
coast II Is rarely that anybody ven-
lures into the interior, because there
the head-hunting natives prowl.
Among them each man is required to
have secured head before he is per-
mitted 10 marry, and on this account
The young gentlemen savages are con.
tinually looking about iof somebody
TO kill. This makes travelling disa-
greeable.
'One OF the most noticeable features
OF the landscape OF Borneo ID III nests
OF ,orangs which are scattered about
thickly among the tall trees. From
their number ono might get greatly
exaggerated impression of the plenti-
fulness OF the species unless it were
understood how and for what purpose
these roosting places are constructed.
The beasts are greatly annoyed by
dies from which they are able to pro-
tect the front part OF their bodies with
their hands, but they cannot keep the
vicious insects from biting them IN the
rear and so they gather quantity of
leaves and branches and make them
into couches to repose against among
the boughs A protection OF this sort
serves very well for while but pres.
entity its material begins to decompose
and the decayine leaves attract the
flies, which the orang is so anxious to
get rid OF. Then he Is obliged to
make another nest OF fresh stuff. and
so he may require dozens OF them in
the course OF year. 1nasmuch as he
does not take the trouble to remove
the old ones. they remain to adorn the
tree top in which he swings about.
'Orangs have very curious meth.
cd of fighting. In their conflicts
among themselves which are frequent
their effort is always to seize the fin
gers OF their adversaries and bite
them. A very beautiful group OF
these animals at the National Museum,
mounted by Mr. Hornaday. admirably
illustrates typical encounter OF the
sort. 1t Is owing to this method OF
battle that IL is almost impossible to
procure skin which does not lack
some of the fingers. II defending
itself against man the beast will |
always attempt to grab the arms Of his
human opponent so as TO chew off his
fingers. For this purpose its jaw is
excellently adapted, being enormously
powerful and equipped with large in
cisors,
'The favorite food OF the orang is
the durion' fruit which is. perhaps,
the most delicious in the world, unit
ing, as 1t does, the favors OF the
peach, the pear and the strawberry.
Like most things nearly perfect how
ever. this fruit has drawback
namely, that 1t leaves taste in the
mouth the next day after it is eaten
which Is more abominable than can
either be described or conceived. 10
protect itself from the rain the orang
crooks its arms over its head. The
hair on the orang's upper arm points
downward while on the lower arm it
points upward, the apparent purpose
being TO shed the rain like thatch
when the attitude I have described is
assumed.
THE other great ape which makes
Its home In Borueo. Is the gibbon.
which is small animal compared
with the orang, weighing only about
'orty or fifty pounds. 1t is very fl-ail
In its bodily makeup. The head is
set squarely upon the shoulders, and
Z looks upward. When walking on
he ground it balances itself along like
/ walker on the tight rope. Its re-
power OF grasp and dexterity
n using its hands is equally with the
shape OF its Uranium an index OF its
intelligence, perhaps because
I is able to take hold of greater
lumber OF things and examine them.
The gibbon Is a natural acrobat. Its
rapeze performances in trees are
simply marvellous.
THE animals go in droves, whereas
,rangs live by families, and one OF the
most interesting spectacles imaginable
s TO see troop OF them crossing a
treat gap in the forest by throwing
themselves in succession through the
Iir, each one taking swing or two to
rather momentum before launching
himself. So great is their agility chat
n executing feats of this sort they
eem like birds.
Natives in the countries inhabited
" great apes regard them always as
uman beings OF inferior types. and it
3 for this reason that for long time
t was found impossible to get hold OF
n entire gorilla skin. because the
avages considered it religiously ne
essary to cut Off the hands and feet
I the animals when they killed them,
ist as they do with their enemies, I
ossibly for the purpose OF rendering
hem harmless in case they should by 1
ny chance come to life again"