The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-01-31
APES THAT RESEMBLE MEN
Almost Human Characteristics Of Che
MaiEs, Gibbon and Macaque
Found in Bcrneo.

The Sarawak region in Borneo
ruled over by the Brooke family. is a
famous hunting ground of naturalists
says the New York Evening Post. One
of the best books on zoology and hi
ology of the island that has yet ap
peared comes in Robert w. G. Shell
ford'S "a Naturalist in Borneo."
Shelford was for seven years fol
lowing 1897 the curator of Raiaf
Brooke's museum, and, an active and
interchangeable curious man, he has ex
traordinary opportunities of studying
the wild life of the island.
The most interesting of Borneo's
animals are the mammals and espe
cially the Simians; and here Mr.. Shel
ford offers some information that il
quite new upon the maias-as ne in
Sists what is ordinarily called ar
Orang-utan should be called-the glib
bon, and the macaque. The first is
not easily studied. 81 want to know
how many wives he keeps and how
he treats them" one Englishmar
asked; but until men can acquire ar
bOreal habits such things will remair
mysteries. The maias are quick trav
elerS in the tree-tOpS, they love
sWampy regions, where men can move
but slowly, and they are remarkably
inconspicuOus in the foliage They are
fruit eaters of dainty habits, anC
seldom stay long in one locality Each
night they make a small nest by bend
ing down small branches, to form 8
platform in the fork of a bOugh anC
with the feet and hands tightly clasp
ing the limbs go to sleep. A yOuns
maias that ShelfOrd kept as a pet al
ways slept in an empty room furnish
ed with an iron bedstead. "On the
steel laths of this the ape would sol
emily climb every evening at abom
G 80; he invariably sprawled on the
fiat of his back. pulled over his head
and chest piece of sacking will
which he was provided. and with
hands and feet got a good grip on tht
posts and frame of the bed. In a few
minutes he would be asleep and his
snoring was so loud that it could be
heard nearly all over the house" The
maias make good pet. being clean
ly, affectionate and more intelligent
than any other animal except man
Mr.. Shelford gives the impression that
watching a young maias is like watch.
ing baby not quite so young; the in.
terplay of reason and instinct is much
the same.
The gibbon has less intelligence, but
is distinguished by the musical morn,
ing cry with which the jungle fairly
rings at dawn-a cry more powerful
than the song of birds to bring the
sluggard out to enjoy the most salu.
briOus part of the BOrnean day But
the macaque has apparently, again.
a good deal of sense. He alone of
the three will, given a bowl of water,
lift it with his hands and drink man
fashion. He can also be trained to
pick coconuts, the modus operandi be,
ing very simple. A cord is fastened
about the monkeys waist and he Is
sent up n palm, where he begins laying
hold of the nuts. If the owner thinks
particular nut ripe he shouts and
down it comes; if it is unripe, he
plucks the cord and the monkey goes
on to another Sometimes the cord is
dispensed with entirely and the mon,
key submits to his masters voice,
something like gee and haw probably
representing ripe and unripe respec-
lively. We are not told that any mac
aques have been developed which are
able to use a trustworthy judgment of
their own as to the ripeness of COCO
nuts; but the practice of eugenics
upon a few generations of these mon
keys should do as much.
The king of Siam has a bodyguard
Of 400 trafnaI opJ opp1n1 yuoY,aan do.