deep shining green colour, the undersurface and the inner toes yellow, while the
webs were black, rayed with yellow. The body was about four inches long, while
the webs of each hind foot, when fully expanded, covered a surface of four
square inches, and the webs of all the feet together about twelve square inches.
As the extremities of the toes have dilated discs for adhesion, showing the
creature to be a true tree frog, it is difficult to imagine that this immense
membrane of the toes can be for the purpose of swimming only, and the account
of the Chinaman, that it flew down from the tree, becomes more credible. This
is, I believe, the first instance known of a "flying frog," and it is very interesting
to Darwinians as showing that the variability of the toes which have been
already modified for purposes of swimming and adhesive climbing, have been
taken advantage of to enable an allied species to pass through the air like the
flying lizard. It would appear to be a new species of the genus Rhacophorus,
which consists of several frogs of a much smaller size than this, and having the
webs of the toes less developed.
During my stay in Borneo I had no hunter to shoot for me regularly, and,
being myself fully occupied with insects, I did not succeed in obtaining a very
good collection of the birds or Mammalia, many of which, however, are well
known, being identical with species found in Malacca. Among the Mammalia
were five squirrels,and two tigercats—the Gymnurus Rafflesii, which looks like
a cross between a pig and a polecat, and the Cynogale Bennetti—a rare, otter-
like animal, with very broad muzzle clothed with long bristles.
One of my chief objects in coming to stay at Simunjon was to see the
Orangutan (or great man-like ape of Borneo) in his native haunts, to study his
habits, and obtain good specimens of the different varieties and species of both
sexes, and of the adult and young animals. In all these objects I succeeded
beyond my expectations, and will now give some account of my experience in
hunting the Orangutan, or "Mias," as it is called by the natives; and as this name
is short, and easily pronounced, I shall generally use it in preference to Simia
satyrus, or Orangutan.
Just a week after my arrival at the mines, I first saw a Mias. I was out
collecting insects, not more than a quarter of a mile from the house, when I
heard a rustling in a tree near, and, looking up, saw a large red-haired animal
moving slowly along, hanging from the branches by its arms. It passed on from
tree to tree until it was lost in the jungle, which was so swampy that I could not
follow it. This mode of progression was, however, very unusual, and is more
characteristic of the Hylobates than of the Orang. I suppose there was some
individual peculiarity in this animal, or the nature of the trees just in this place