ZOOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORTH BORNEO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4563, 8 December 1882, Page 3

ZOOLOGICAL NOTES FROM NORTH BORNEO.

♦ With reference to the footnote to my loiter in your issue of about a year ago aB to the desirability of obtaining further and more exaofc information about the mammilla of North Borneo, I Bent by last mail to you a box containing tho skull of a rhinoceros Bent down to me from the Kina B&Ungan ; tho skull of a buffalo of some Bort — Bos banteng, I think, large herds of which are occasionally gesn in these parts ; and also a skull of the dfer oonirnonfflt about hero, which ig allied to, if not identical with, the lambur. As I notice that the deer spoken of by mo bb tht kejang has bsen referred to as probably a muntjto, I may state that it is certainly not a muntjftc, being at least twice as large. I myself have never had more than a momentary glimpse of one, M it dashed through the underwood ; but a gentleman who shot one tells me that it had a pair of long, straight horm like an antelope. I think, however, there must hare been some mistake about thii. With regard to the tapir beiDg frequently spoken of as a Bemoan animal, 1 have enquired from many forest Indians, but hare nerer found one that had any idea of any suoh animal. I have myself also seen thousands of foot tracks of animals, from elephants down to mouse-deor, but I have never seen the slat of a tapir ; so I think it may be taken for granted that it does not exist in this part of Borneo, at all events. I have several times seen a statement that two species of leopard exist in Borneo. I am only aware of one, Folis maorooelis — except indeed the marbled oat (Leopard us marmovfitus) may be dignified by that title. A gentleman of Labuan killed one (the only one I have ever heard of ia this neighbourhood) with his walking stick. As for Felis macroce'is, it does not occur anywhere nearer here than the Labuo mountains. Tho statement that the oheetah is found in Borneo is, of courso, a mistake. Though rarely seen, the variety of smallish mammals is something extraordinary. I still continue to come across fresh species from time to time, and this after four years' observation. This part of Borneo would seem to be peculiar from tho number of different species of Ineectirora it contains, Eorae of them very pretty and graceful animals, particularly the arboroal ones, which are more active than squirrels even. The Gymnura may be said to be common round here. j In addition to tho species of buffalo of which I send skull, there uro, I think, two other species here ; ono I believe to be simply the ordinary cattle run wild, but about the other I cannot speak with cortainty. As to the legend with regard to all the elephants of these parts being deeoended from two, brought here by the Eaet India Company, it may bo put asido 83 a myth. Largo herds of elephants have no doubt roamed these forests from time immemorial. Hunt, writing in 1812, speaks of elephants having been very abundant "in former times;" whioh would carry one back to a century ago, leaving no time for their in* creaso from the date of the first vitit of a British vessel. 130 speaks of their toeth being still found occasionally. For this to bo the cage, it would be necessary for large quantities of elephants to have been in existence for many oenturies ; at the present time, tosth continue to bo brought "in by gutta hunters and others occasionally. What made Hunt speak of the existence of eluphanta in the past tense I do not know, but I believe ho himeelf did not visit these parts. I was told the following snake story a fow dayseiuce: A Bajan Maharajah, with forty men, whs gutta hunting on the island of Tain some few months ago, when they camo upon an onormous snake lying across tho forest track ; ten fathoms of it was on ono side of the path, and six fathoms on tho other ! The men came right upon it btifjre they were aware, and it suddenly reared its head back high in tho air (some 10ft or thereabouts) above tbem,j|whereupon the wholo forty of them took to thoir heels. The Maharajah when relating this tale to me, looked about him, and selected a tree, which he pointed out to inn as being about the size of tho enake; it was 2ft thick. This muu wan no fresh hand with snakes, i\s lie told mo ho had often killed largo onoß, tho last little less than a month ago, on tin isl»nd of Somoonal, whoro there was one that used to haunt v waterholo and catch wild pigs or other animals that came to it; tho peo»!c hud oftonuhotsumpitandftrtrt at it, but thoy di-i not penetrate ita skin, glancing of. The Atfuhurajah and a P.»nglimß, coming tj tho plsicu, heard of it, and took their riflaa and went in soarcb, tuid found it hinging by its ttil from a tn:o, with its head afoot or two above the ground ; they shot, it, nr.d it measured five f»thjm» (ety 25ft). 'Iho Maharajah's ticoou:it of the large snake boing on the ground and tho smaller one up a trot* agreed witli my own experience. 1 havo little doubt that the larger pythone aro too heavy and unwieldy to climb. Although I dare say larger snukoH imvobrrn j killed ucd measured, yet I thin it i <:un claim a " beet on record " with a python I )v.d inUi^ I Philippine 1-Unds, which measured 28tt 4in in length ; it, vrae 13iu in diameter when flr^t caught. The othov day in tho forest,, iioar '.ho new j placo, Por». Eiphinßtono, I flaw a frea'u en*ko truck, which looked as though a heavy barrol had Viocti huuled ulojig, the limvcs nil bring turnc.l i;p asirto ri^hi and left. by it, hnci tho ground slightly furrowed. Tho tvurk was stbou!, two icot broad, but, a goon mul of ullowfcuuo would liavo to bo made for t!.'.' cuuvolutiots of tho unake a» it wriygleii nloi>i;. Mluwiug all posaii le doduoliom fr.'tn «lih Maharajah's story, his inuko must havo been an extraordinary ono, W. B. Piiteb, CM.ZM. Elopura, Juno 22.