the malay archipelago-2-第10节

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After　ten　days　at　Langundi；　finding　it　impossible　to　get　the　bird　I　was　particularly　in　search　of　（the　Nicobar　pigeon；　or　a　new　species　allied　to　it）；　and　finding　no　new　birds；　and　very　few　insects；　I　left　early　on　the　morning　of　April　1st；　and　in　the　evening　entered　a　river　on　the　main　island　of　Batchian　（Langundi；　like　Kasserota；　being　on　a　distinct　island）；　where　some　Malays　and　Galela　men　have　a　small　village；　and　have　made　extensive　rice…fields　and　plantain　grounds。　Here　we　found　a　good　house　near　the　river　bank；　where　the　water　was　fresh　and　clear；　and　the　owner；　a　respectable　Batchian　Malay；　offered　me　sleeping　room　and　the　use　of　the　verandah　if　I　liked　to　stay。　Seeing　forest　all　round　within　a　short　distance；　I　accepted　his　offer；　and　the　next　morning　before　breakfast　walked　out　to　explore；　and　on　the　skirts　of　the　forest　captured　a　few　interesting　insects。

Afterwards；　I　found　a　path　which　led　for　a　mile　or　more　through　a　very　fine　forest；　richer　in　palms　than　any　I　had　seen　in　the　Moluccas。　One　of　these　especially　attracted　my　attention　from　its　elegance。　The　stein　was　not　thicker　than　my　wrist；　yet　it　was　very　lofty；　and　bore　clusters　of　bright　red　fruit。　It　was　apparently　a　species　of　Areca。　Another　of　immense　height　closely　resembled　in　appearance　the　Euterpes　of　South　America。　Here　also　grew　the　fan…leafed　palm；　whose　small；　nearly　entire　leaves　are　used　to　make　the　dammar　torches；　and　to　form　the　water…buckets　in　universal　use。　During　this　walk　I　saw　near　a　dozen　species　of　palms；　as　well　as　two　or　three　Pandani　different　from　those　of　Langundi。　There　were　also　some　very　fine　climbing　ferns　and　true　wild　Plantains　（Musa）；　bearing　an　edible　fruit　not　so　large　as　one's　thumb；　and　consisting　of　a　mass　of　seeds　just　covered　with　pulp　and　skin。　The　people　assured　me　they　had　tried　the　experiment　of　sowing　and　cultivating　this　species；　but　could　not　improve　it。　They　probably　did　not　grow　it　in　sufficient　quantity；　and　did　not　persevere　sufficiently　long。

Batchian　is　an　island　that　would　perhaps　repay　the　researches　of　a　botanist　better　than　any　other　in　the　whole　Archipelago。　It　contains　a　great　variety　of　surface　and　of　soil；　abundance　of　large　and　small　streams；　many　of　which　are　navigable　for　some　distance；　and　there　being　no　savage　inhabitants；　every　part　of　it　can　be　visited　with　perfect　safety。　It　possesses　gold；　copper；　and　coal；　hot　springs　and　geysers；　sedimentary　and　volcanic　rocks　and　coralline　limestone；　alluvial　plains；　abrupt　hills　and　lofty　mountains；　a　moist　climate；　and　a　grand　and　luxuriant　forest　vegetation。

The　few　days　I　stayed　here　produced　me　several　new　insects；　but　scarcely　any　birds。　Butterflies　and　birds　are　in　fact　remarkably　scarce　in　these　forests。　One　may　walk　a　whole　day　and　not　see　more　than　two　or　three　species　of　either。　In　everything　but　beetles；　these　eastern　islands　are　very　deficient　compared　with　the　western　（Java；　Borneo；　&c。）；　and　much　more　so　if　compared　with　the　forests　of　South　America；　where　twenty　or　thirty　species　of　butterflies　may　be　caught　every　day；　and　on　very　good　days　a　hundred；　a　number　we　can　hardly　reach　here　in　months　of　unremitting　search。　In　birds　there　is　the　same　difference。　In　most　parts　of　tropical　America　we　may　always　find　some　species　of　woodpecker　tanager；　bush　shrike；　chatterer；　trogon；　toucan；　cuckoo；　and　tyrant…flycatcher；　and　a　few　days'　active　search　will　produce　more　variety　than　can　be　here　met　with　in　as　many　months。　Yet；　along　with　this　poverty　of　individuals　and　of　species；　there　are　in　almost　every　class　and　order；　some　one；　or　two　species　of　such　extreme　beauty　or　singularity；　as　to　vie　with；　or　even　surpass；　anything　that　even　South　America　can　produce。

One　afternoon　when　I　was　arranging　my　insects；　and　surrounded　by　a　crowd　of　wondering　spectators；　I　showed　one　of　them　how　to　look　at　a　small　insect　with　a　hand…lens；　which　caused　such　evident　wonder　that　all　the　rest　wanted　to　see　it　too。　I　therefore　fixed　the　glass　firmly　to　a　piece　of　soft　wood　at　the　proper　focus；　and　put　under　it　a　little　spiny　beetle　of　the　genus　Hispa；　and　then　passed　it　round　for　examination。　The　excitement　was　immense。　Some　declared　it　was　a　yard　long；　others　were　frightened；　and　instantly　dropped　it；　and　all　were　as　much　astonished；　and　made　as　much　shouting　and　gesticulation；　as　children　at　a　pantomime；　or　at　a　Christmas　exhibition　of　the　oxyhydrogen　microscope。　And　all　this　excitement　was　produced　by　a　little　pocket　lens；　an　inch　and　a　half　focus；　and　therefore　magnifying　only　four　or　five　times；　but　which　to　their　unaccustomed　eyes　appeared　to　enlarge　a　hundred　fold。

On　the　last　day　of　my　stay　here；　one　of　my　hunters　succeeded　in　finding　and　shooting　the　beautiful　Nicobar　pigeon；　of　which　I　had　been　so　long　in　search。　None　of　the　residents　had　ever　seen　it；　which　shows　that　it　is　rare　and　slay。　My　specimen　was　a　female　in　beautiful　condition；　and　the　glassy　coppery　and　green　of　its　plumage；　the　snow…white　tail　and　beautiful　pendent　feathers　of　the　neck；　were　greatly　admired。　I　subsequently　obtained　a　specimen　in　New　Guinea；　and　once　saw　it　in　the　Kaióa　islands。　It　is　found　also　in　some　small　islands　near　Macassar；　in　others　near　Borneo；　and　in　the　Nicobar　islands；　whence　it　receives　its　name。　It　is　a　ground　feeder；　only　going　upon　trees　to　roost；　and　is　a　very　heavy　fleshy　bird。　This　may　account　far　the　fact　of　its　being　found　chiefly　on　very　small　islands；　while　in　the　western　half　of　the　Archipelago；　it　seems　entirely　absent　from　the　larger　ones。　Being　a　ground　feeder　it　is　subject　to　the　attacks　of　carnivorous　quadrupeds；　which　are　not　found　in　the　very　small　islands。　Its　wide　distribution　over　the　whole　length　of　the　Archipelago；　from　extreme　west　to　east；　is　however　very　extraordinary；　since；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　of　the　birds　of　prey；　not　a　single　land　bird　has　so　wide　a　range。　Ground…feeding　birds　are　generally　deficient　in　power　of　extended　flight；　and　this　species　is　so　bulky　and　heavy　that　it　appears　at　first　sight　quite　unable　to　fly　a　mile。　A　closer　examination　shows；　however；　that　its　wings　are　remarkably　large；　perhaps　in　proportion　to　its　size　larger　than　those　of　any　other　pigeon；　and　its　pectoral　muscles　are　immense。　A　fact　communicated　to　me　by　the　son　of　my　friend　Mr。　Duivenboden　of　Ternate；　would　show　that；　in　accordance　with　these　peculiarities　of　structure；　it　possesses　the　power　of　flying　long　distances。　Mr。　D。　established　an　oil　factory　on　a　small　coral　island；　a　hundred　miles　north　of　New　Guinea；　with　no　intervening　land。　After　the　island　had　been　settled　a　year；　and　traversed　in　every　direction；　his　son　paid　it　a　visit；　and　just　as　the　schooner　was　coming　to　an　anchor；　a　bird　was　seen　flying　from　seaward　which　fell　into　the　water　exhausted　before　it　could　reach　the　shore。　A　boat　was　sent　to　pick　it　up；　and　it　was　found　to　be　a　Nicobar　pigeon；　which　must　have　come　from　New　Guinea；　and　flown　a　hundred　miles；　since　no　such　bird　previously　inhabited　the　island。

This　is　certainly　a　very　curious　case　of　adaptation　to　an　unusual　and　exceptional　necessity。　The　bird　does　not　ordinarily　require　great　powers　of　flight；　since　it　lives　in　the　forest；　feeds　on　fallen　fruits；　and　roosts　in　low　trees　like　other　ground　pigeons。　The　majority　of　the　individuals；　therefore；　can　never　make　full　use　of　their　enormously　powerful　wings；　till　the　exceptional　case　occurs　of　an　individual　being　blown　out　to　sea；　or　driven　to　emigrate　by　the　incursion　of　some　carnivorous　animal；　or　the　pressure　of　scarcity　of　food。　A　modification　exactly　opposite　to　that　which　produced　the　wingless　birds　（the　Apteryx；　Cassowary；　and　Dodo）；　appears　to　have　here　taken　place；　and　it　is　curious　that　in　both　cases　an　insular　habitat　should　have　been　the　moving　cause。　The　explanation　is　probably　the　same　as　that　applied　by　Mr。　Darwin　to　the　case　of　the　Madeira　beetles；　many　of　which　are　wingless；　while　some　of　the　winged　ones　have　the　wings　better　developed　than　the　same　species　on　the　continent。　It　was　advantageous　to　these　insects　either　never　to　fly　at　all；　and　thus　not　run　the　risk　of　being　blown　out　to　sea；　or　to　fly　so　well　as　to　he　able　either　to　return　to　land；　or　to　migrate　safely　to　the　continent。　Pad　flying　was　worse　than　not　flying　at　all。　So；　while　in　such　islands　as　New　Zealand　and　Mauritius　far　from　all　land；　it　vas　safer　for　a　ground…feeding　bird　not　to　fly　at　all；　and　the　short…winged　individuals　continually　surviving；　prepared　the　way　for　a　wingless　group　of　birds；　in　a　vast　Archipelago　thickly　strewn　with　islands　and　islets　it　was　advantageous　to　be　able　occasionally　to　migrate；　arid　thus　the　long　and　strong…winged　varieties　maintained　their　existence　longest；　and　ultimately　supplanted　all　others；　and　spread　the　race　over　the　whole　Archipelago。

Besides　this　pigeon；　the　only　new　bird　I　obtained　during　the　trip　was　a　rare　goat…sucker　（Batrachostomus　crinifrons）；　the　only　species　of　the　genus　yet　found　in　the　Moluccas。　Among　my　insects　the　best　were　the　rare　Pieris　arum；　of　a　rich　chrome　yellow　colour；　with　a　black　border　and　remarkable　white　antennaperhaps　the　very　finest　butterfly　of　the　genus；　and　a　large　black　wasp…　like　insect；　with　immense　jaws　like　a　stag…beetle；　which　has　been　named　Megachile　Pluto　by　Mr。　B。　Smith。　I　collected　about　a　hundred