Hens With Small Chickens Are Gathered Together In The Evening By The Clever Hands Of The Dayak Women, Hen And Brood Being Put Into An Incredibly Small Wicker Bag, Which Is Hung Up On The Gallery For The Night.

Otherwise carnivorous animals, prowling about, would make short work of them.

At dawn, having duly saluted the coming day, the numerous cocks descend from their high roosts and immediately begin their favourite sport of chasing the few females about. The crowing of these poorly bred but very powerful males creates pandemonium for a couple of hours, and it is like living in a poultry yard with nearly fifty brutal cocks crowing around one. During the remainder of the day sudden raids upon kitchen or tent by one or more of these cocks are of frequent occurrence, usually overturning or otherwise damaging something. Although repeatedly and easily frightened away, they return as soon as they see that the coast is clear again. This is the one nuisance to be encountered in all the kampongs, though rarely to the same extent as here.

CHAPTER XIV

THE SCALY ANT-EATER - THE PORCUPINE - THE BLOW-PIPE - AN UNUSUAL ADVENTURE WITH A SNAKE - HABITS AND CUSTOMS OF THE MURUNGS - AN UNPLEASANT AFFAIR

A Murung one day brought and exhibited to us that extraordinary animal, the scaly ant-eater (manis), which is provided with a long pipe-like snout, and is devoid of teeth because its only food, the ant, is gathered by means of its long tongue.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 139 of 489
Words from 37078 to 37328 of 132281