the malay archipelago-2-第23节

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has　a　pale　ruff　formed　of　curious　recurved　feathers　on　the　nape　（which　has　given　the　whole　genus　the　name　of　Friar　birds）；　this　is　represented　in　the　Mimeta　by　a　pale　band　in　the　same　position。　Lastly；　the　bill　of　the　Tropidorhynchus　is　raised　into　a　protuberant　keel　at　the　base；　and　the　Mimeta　has　the　same　character；　although　it　is　not　a　common　one　in　the　genus。　The　result　is；　that　on　a　superficial　examination　the　birds　are　identical；　although　they　leave　important　structural　differences；　and　cannot　be　placed　near　each　other　in　any　natural　arrangement。

In　the　adjacent　island　of　Ceram　we　find　very　distinct　species　of　both　these　genera；　and；　strange　to　say；　these　resemble　each　other　quite　as　closely　as　do　those　of　Bouru　The　Tropidorhynchus　subcornutus　is　of　an　earthy　brown　colour；　washed　with　ochreish　yellow；　with　bare　orbits；　dusky：　cheeks；　and　the　usual　recurved　nape…ruff：　The　Mimeta　forsteni　which　accompanies　it；　is　absolutely　identical　in　the　tints　of　every　part　of　the　body；　and　the　details　are　copied　just　as　minutely　as　in　the　former　species。

We　have　two　kinds　of　evidence　to　tell　us　which　bird　in　this　case　is　the　model；　and　which　the　copy。　The　honeysuckers　are　coloured　in　a　manner　which　is　very　general　in　the　whole　family　to　which　they　belong；　while　the　orioles　seem　to　have　departed　from　the　gay　yellow　tints　so　common　among　their　allies。　We　should　therefore　conclude　that　it　is　the　latter　who　mimic　the　former。　If　so；　however；　they　must　derive　some　advantage　from　the　imitation；　and　as　they　are　certainly　weak　birds；　with　small　feet　and　claws；　they　may　require　it。　Now　the　Tropidorhynchi　are　very　strong　and　active　birds；　having　powerful　grasping　claws；　and　long；　curved；　sharp　beaks。　They　assemble　together　in　groups　and　small　flocks；　and　they　haw　a　very　loud　bawling　note　which　can　be　heard　at　a　great　distance；　and　serves　to　collect　a　number　together　in　time　of　danger。　They　are　very　plentiful　and　very　pugnacious；　frequently　driving　away　crows　and　even　hawks；　which　perch　on　a　tree　where　a　few　of　them　are　assembled。　It　is　very　probable；　therefore；　that　the　smaller　birds　of　prey　have　learnt　to　respect　these　birds　and　leave　them　alone；　and　it　may　thus　be　a　great　advantage　for　the　weaker　and　less　courageous　Mimetas　to　be　mistaken　for　them。　This　being　case；　the　laws　of　Variation　and　Survival　of　the　Fittest；　will　suffice　to　explain　how　the　resemblance　has　been　brought　about；　without　supposing　any　voluntary　action　on　the　part　of　the　birds　themselves；　and　those　who　have　read　Mr。　Darwin's　〃Origin　of　Species〃　will　have　no　difficulty　in　comprehending　the　whole　process。

The　insects　of　the　Moluccas　are　pre…eminently　beautiful；　even　when　compared　with　the　varied　and　beautiful　productions　of　other　parts　of　the　Archipelago。　The　grand　bird…winged　butterflies　（Ornithoptera）　here　reach　their　maximum　of　size　and　beauty；　and　many　of　the　Papilios；　Pieridae　Danaidae；　and　Nymphalidae　are　equally　preeminent。　There　is；　perhaps；　no　island　in　the　world　so　small　as　Amboyna　where　so　many　grand　insects　are　to　be　found。　Here　are　three　of　the　very　finest　Ornithopteraepriamus；　helena；　and　remiss；　three　of　the　handsomest　and　largest　Papilios　ulysses；　deiphobus；　and　gambrisius；　one　of　the　handsomest　Pieridae；　Iphias　leucippe；　the　largest　of　the　Danaidae；　Hestia　idea；　and　two　unusually　large　and　handsome　NymphalidaeDiadema　pandarus；　and　Charaxes　euryalus。　Among　its　beetles　are　the　extraordinary　Euchirus　longimanus；　whose　enormous　legs　spread　over　a　space　of　eight　inches；　and　an　unusual　number　of　large　and　handsome　Longicorns；　Anthribidae；　and　Buprestidae。

The　beetles　figured　on　the　plate　as　characteristic　of　the　Moluccas　are：　1。　A　small　specimen　of　the　Euchirus　longimanus；　or　Long…armed　Chafer；　which　has　been　already　mentioned　in　the　account　of　my　residence　at　Amboyna　（Chapter　XX。）。　The　female　has　the　fore　legs　of　moderate　length。　2。　A　fine　weevil；　（an　undescribed　species　of　Eupholus；）　of　rich　blue　and　emerald　green　colours；　banded　with　black。　It　is　a　native　of　Ceram　and　Goram；　and　is　found　on　foliage。　3。　A　female　of　Xenocerus　semiluctuosus；　one　of　the　Anthribidae　of　delicate　silky　white　and　black　colours。　It　is　abundant　on　fallen　trunks　and　stumps　in　Ceram　and　Amboyna。　4。　An　undescribed　species　of　Xenocerus；　a　male；　with　very　long　and　curious　antenna；　and　elegant　black　and　white　markings。　It　is　found　on　fallen　trunks　in　Batchian。　5。　An　undescribed　species　of　Arachnobas；　a　curious　genus　of　weevils　peculiar　to　the　Moluccas　and　New　Guinea；　and　remarkable　for　their　long　legs；　and　their　habit　of　often　sitting　on　leaves；　and　turning　rapidly　round　the　edge　to　the　under…surface　when　disturbed。　It　was　found　in　Gilolo。　All　these　insects　are　represented　of　the　natural　size。

Like　the　birds；　the　insects　of　the　Moluccas　show　a　decided　affinity　with　those　of　New　Guinea　rather　than　with　the　productions　of　the　great　western　islands　of　the　Archipelago；　but　the　difference　in　form　and　structure　between　the　productions　of　the　east　and　west　is　not　nearly　so　marked　here　as　in　birds。　This　is　probably　due　to　the　more　immediate　dependence　of　insects　on　climate　and　vegetation；　and　the　greater　facilities　for　their　distribution　in　the　varied　stages　of　egg；　pupa；　and　perfect　insect。　This　has　led　to　a　general　uniformity　in　the　insect…life　of　the　whole　Archipelago；　in　accordance　with　the　general　uniformity　of　its　climate　and　vegetation；　while　on　the　other　hand　the　great　susceptibility　of　the　insect　organization　to　the　action　of　external　conditions　has　led　to　infinite　detailed　modifications　of　form　and　colour；　which　have　in　many　cases　given　a　considerable　diversity　to　the　productions　of　adjacent　islands。

Owing　to　the　great　preponderance　among　the　birds；　of　parrots；　pigeons；　kingfishers；　and　sunbirds；　almost　all　of　gay　or　delicate　colours；　and　many　adorned　with　the　most　gorgeous　plumage；　and　to　the　numbers　of　very　large　and　showy　butterflies　which　are　almost　everywhere　to　be　met　with；　the　forests　of　the　Moluccas　offer　to　the　naturalist　a　very　striking　example　of　the　luxuriance　and　beauty　of　animal　life　in　the　tropics。　Yet　the　almost　entire　absence　of　Mammalia；　and　of　such　wide…spread　groups　of　birds　as　woodpeckers；　thrushes；　jays；　tits；　and　pheasants；　must　convince　him　that　he　is　in　a　part　of　the　world　which　has；　in　reality　but　little　in　common　with　the　great　Asiatic　continent；　although　an　unbroken　chain　of　islands　seems　to　link　them　to　it。

CHAPTER　XXVIII。

MACASSAR　TO　THE　ARU　ISLANDS　IN　A　NATIVE　PRAU。

（DECEMBER；　1856。）

IT　was　the　beginning　of　December；　and　the　rainy　season　at　Macassar　had　just　set　in。　For　nearly　three　months　had　beheld　the　sun　rise　daily　above　the　palm…groves；　mount　to　the　zenith；　and　descend　like　a　globe　of　fire　into　the　ocean；　unobscured　for　a　single　moment　of　his　course。　Now　dark　leaden　clouds　had　gathered　over　the　whole　heavens；　and　seemed　to　have　rendered　him　permanently　invisible。　The　strong　east　winds；　warm　and　dry　and　dust…laden；　which　had　hitherto　blown　as　certainly　as　the　sun　had　risen；　were　now　replaced　by　variable　gusty　breezes　and　heavy　rains；　often　continuous　for　three　days　and　nights　together；　and　the　parched　and　fissured　rice　stubbles　which　during　the　dry　weather　had　extended　in　every　direction　for　miles　around　the　town；　were　already　so　flooded　as　to　be　only　passable　by　boats；　or　by　means　of　a　labyrinth　of　paths　on　the　top　of　the　narrow　banks　which　divided　the　separate　properties。

Five　months　of　this　kind　of　weather　might　be　expected　in　Southern　Celebes；　and　I　therefore　determined　to　seek　some　more　favourable　climate　for　collecting　in　during　that　period；　and　to　return　in　the　next　dry　season　to　complete　my　exploration　of　the　district。　Fortunately　for　me　I　was　in　one　of　the　treat　emporiums　of　the　native　trade　of　the　archipelago。　Rattans　from　Borneo；　sandal…wood　and　bees'…was　from　Flores　and　Timor；　tripang　from　the　Gulf　of　Carpentaria；　cajputi…oil　from　Bouru；　wild　nutmegs　and　mussoi…bark　from　New　Guinea；　are　all　to　be　found　in　the　stores　of　the　Chinese　and　Bugis　merchants　of　Macassar；　along　with　the　rice　and　coffee　which　are　the　chief　products　of　the　surrounding　country。　More　important　than　all　these　however　is　the　trade　to　Aru；　a　group　of　islands　situated　on　the　south…west　coast　of　New　Guinea；　and　of　which　almost　the　whole　produce　comes　to　Macassar　in　native　vessels。　These　islands　are　quite　out　of　the　track　of　all　European　trade；　and　are　inhabited　only　by　black　mop…headed　savages；　who　yet　contribute　to　the　luxurious　tastes　of　the　most　civilized　races。　Pearls；　mother…of…pearl；　and　tortoiseshell　find　their　way　to　Europe；　while　edible　birds'　nests　and　〃tripang〃　or　sea…slug　are　obtained　by　shiploads　for　the　gastronomic　enjoyment　of　the　Chinese。

The　trade　to　these　islands　has　existed　from　very　early　times；　and　it　is　from　them　that　Birds　of　Paradise；　of　the　two　kinds　known　to　Linnaeus　were　first　brought　The　native　vessels　can　only　make　the　voyage　once　a　year；　owing　to　the　monsoons。　They　leave　Macassar　in　December　or　January　at　the　beginning　of　the　west　monsoon；　and　return　in　July　or　August　with　the　full　strength　of　the　east　monsoon。　Even　by　the　Macassar　people　themselves；　the　voyage　to　the　Aru　Islands　is　looked　upon　as　a　rather　wild　and　romantic　expedition；　fall　of　novel　sights　and　strange　adventures。　He　who　has　made　it　is　looked　up　to　as　an　authority；