the malay archipelago-2-第22节

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ch　country　the　same　deficiency　and　the　same　luxuriance　is　to　be　observed。　Out　of　the　seventy…eight　genera　in　which　the　Moluccan　land…birds　may　be　classed；　no　less　than　seventy　are　characteristic　of　Yew　Guinea；　while　only　six　belong　specially　to　the　Indo…Malay　islands。　But　this　close　resemblance　to　New　Guinea　genera　does　not　extend　to　the　species；　for　no　less　than　140　out　of　the　195　land…birds　are　peculiar　to　the　Moluccan　islands；　while　32　are　found　also　in　New　Guinea；　and　15　in　the　Indo…Malay　islands。　These　facts　teach　us；　that　though　the　birds　of　this　group　have　evidently　been　derived　mainly　from　New　Guinea；　yet　the　immigration　has　not　been　a　recent　one；　since　there　has　been　time　for　the　greater　portion　of　the　species　to　have　become　changed。　We　find；　also；　that　many　very　characteristic　New　Guinea　forms　lave　not　entered　the　Moluccas　at　all；　while　others　found　in　Ceram　and　Gilolo　do　not　extend　so　far　west　as　Bouru。　Considering；　further；　the　absence　of　most　of　the　New　Guinea　mammals　from　the　Moluccas；　we　are　led　to　the　conclusion　that　these　islands　are　not　fragments　which　have　been　separated　from　New　Guinea；　but　form　a　distinct　insular　region；　which　has　been　upheaved　independently　at　a　rather　remote　epoch；　and　during　all　the　mutations　it　has　undergone　has　been　constantly　receiving　immigrants　from　that　great　and　productive　island。　The　considerable　length　of　time　the　Moluccas　have　remained　isolated　is　further　indicated　by　the　occurrence　of　two　peculiar　genera　of　birds；　Semioptera　and　Lycocorax；　which　are　found　nowhere　else。

We　are　able　to　divide　this　small　archipelago　into　two　well　marked　groupsthat　of　Ceram；　including　also　Bouru。　Amboyna；　Banda；　and　Ke；　and　that　of　Gilolo；　including　Morty；　Batchian；　Obi；　Ternate；　and　other　small　islands。　These　divisions　have　each　a　considerable　number　of　peculiar　species；　no　less　than　fifty…five　being　found　in　the　Ceram　group　only；　and　besides　this；　most　of　the　separate　islands　have　some　species　peculiar　to　themselves。　Thus　Morty　island　has　a　peculiar　kingfisher；　honeysucker；　and　starling；　Ternate　has　a　ground…thrush　（Pitta）　and　a　flycatcher；　Banda　has　a　pigeon；　a　shrike；　and　a　Pitta；　Ke　has　two　flycatchers；　a　Zosterops；　a　shrike；　a　king…crow　and　a　cuckoo；　and　the　remote　Timor…Laut；　which　should　probably　come　into　the　Moluccan　group；　has　a　cockatoo　and　lory　as　its　only　known　birds；　and　both　are　of　peculiar　species。

The　Moluccas　are　especially　rich　in　the　parrot　tribe；　no　less　than　twenty…two　species；　belonging　to　ten　genera；　inhabiting　them。　Among　these　is　the　large　red…crested　cockatoo；　so　commonly　seen　alive　in　Europe；　two　handsome　red　parrots　of　the　genus　Eclectus；　and　five　of　the　beautiful　crimson　lories；　which　are　almost　exclusively　confined　to　these　islands　and　the　New　Guinea　group。　The　pigeons　are　hardly　less　abundant　or　beautiful；　twenty…　one　species　being　known；　including　twelve　of　the　beautiful　green　fruit　pigeons；　the　smaller　kinds　of　which　are　ornamented　with　the　most　brilliant　patches　of　colour　on　the　head　and　the　under…　surface。　Next　to　these　come　the　kingfishers；　including　sixteen　species；　almost　all　of　which　are　beautiful；　end　many　are　among　the　most　brilliantly…coloured　birds　that　exist。

One　of　the　most　curious　groups　of　birds；　the　Megapodii；　or　mound…　makers；　is　very　abundant　in　the　Moluccas。　They　are　gallinaceous　birds；　about　the　size　of　a　small　fowl；　and　generally　of　a　dark　ashy　or　sooty　colour；　and　they　have　remarkably　large　and　strong　feet　and　long　claws。　They　are　allied　to　the　〃Maleo〃　of　Celebes；　of　which　an　account　has　already　been　given；　but　they　differ　in　habits；　most　of　these　birds　frequenting　the　scrubby　jungles　along　the　sea…shore；　where　the　soil　is　sandy；　and　there　is　a　considerable　quantity　of　debris；　consisting　of　sticks；　shells；　seaweed；　leaves；　&c。　Of　this　rubbish　the　Megapodius　forms　immense　mounds；　often　six　or　eight　feet　high　and　twenty　or　thirty　feet　in　diameter；　which　they　are　enabled　to　do　with　comparative　ease；　by　means　of　their　large　feet；　with　which　they　can　grasp　and　throw　backwards　a　quantity　of　material。　In　the　centre　of　this　mound；　at　a　depth　of　two　or　three　feet；　the　eggs　are　deposited；　and　are　hatched　by　the　gentle　heat　produced　by　the　fermentation　of　the　vegetable　matter　of　the　mound。　When　I　first　saw　these　mounds　in　the　island　of　Lombock；　I　could　hardly　believe　that　they　were　made　by　such　small　birds；　but　I　afterwards　met　with　them　frequently；　and　have　once　or　twice　come　upon　the　birds　engaged　in　making　them。　They　run　a　few　steps　backwards；　grasping　a　quantity　of　loose　material　in　one　foot；　and　throw　it　a　long　way　behind　them。　When　once　properly　buried　the　eggs　seem　to　be　no　more　cared　for；　the　young　birds　working　their　way　up　through　the　heap　of　rubbish；　and　running　off　at　once　into　the　forest。　They　come　out　of　the　egg　covered　with　thick　downy　feathers；　and　have　no　tail；　although　the　wings　are　full　developed。

I　was　so　fortunate　as　to　discover　a　new　species　（Megapodius　wallacei）；　which　inhibits　Gilolo；　Ternate；　and　Bouru。　It　is　the　handsomest　bird　of　the　genus；　being　richly　banded　with　reddish　brown　on　the　back　and　wings；　and　it　differs　from　the　other　species　in　its　habits。　It　frequents　the　forests　of　the　interior；　and　comes　down　to　the　sea…beach　to　deposit　its　eggs；　but　instead　of　making　a　mound；　or　scratching　a　hole　to　receive　them；　it　burrows　into　the　sand　to　the　depth　of　about　three　feet　obliquely　downwards；　and　deposits　its　eggs　at　the　bottom。　It　then　loosely　covers　up　the　mouth　of　the　hole；　and　is　said　by　the　natives　to　obliterate　and　disguise　its　own　footmarks　leading　to　and　from　the　hole；　by　making　many　other　tracks　and　scratches　in　the　neighbourhood。　It　lays　its　eggs　only　at　night；　and　at　Bouru　a　bird　was　caught　early　one　morning　as　it　was　coming　out　of　its　hole；　in　which　several　eggs　were　found。　All　these　birds　seem　to　be　semi…nocturnal；　for　their　loud　wailing　cries　may　be　constantly　heard　late　into　the　night　and　long　before　daybreak　in　the　morning。　The　eggs　are　all　of　a　rusty　red　colour；　and　very　large　for　the　size　of　the　bird；　being　generally　three　or　three　and　a　quarter　inches　long；　by　two　or　two　and　a　quarter　wide。　They　are　very　good　eating；　and　are　much　sought　after　by　the　natives。

Another　large　and　extraordinary　bird　is　the　Cassowary；　which　inhabits　the　island　of　Ceram　only。　It　is　a　stout　and　strong　bird；　standing　five　or　six　feet　high；　and　covered　with　long　coarse　black　hair…like　feathers。　The　head　is　ornamented　with　a　large　horny　calque　or　helmet；　and　the　bare　skin　of　the　neck　is　conspicuous　with　bright　blue　and　red　colours。　The　wings　are　quite　absent；　and　are　replaced　by　a　group　of　horny　black　spines　like　blunt　porcupine　quills。

These　birds　wander　about　the　vast　mountainous　forests　that　cover　the　island　of　Ceram；　feeding　chiefly　on　fallen　fruits；　and　on　insects　or　crustacea。　The　female　lays　from　three　to　five　large　and　beautifully　shagreened　green　eggs　upon　a　bed　of　leaves；　the　male　and　female　sitting　upon　them　alternately　for　about　a　month。　This　bird　is　the　helmeted　cassowary　（Casuarius　galeatus）　of　naturalists；　and　was　for　a　long　time　the　only　species　known。　Others　have　since　been　discovered　in　New　Guinea；　New　Britain；　and　North　Australia。

It　was　in　the　Moluccas　that　I　first　discovered　undoubted　cases　of　〃mimicry〃　among　birds；　and　these　are　so　curious　that　I　must　briefly　describe　them。　It　will　be　as　well；　however；　first　to　explain　what　is　meant　by　mimicry　in　natural　history。　At　page　205　of　the　first　volume　of　this　work；　I　have　described　a　butterfly　which；　when　at　rest；　so　closely　resembles　a　dead　leaf；　that　it　thereby　escape　the　attacks　of　its　enemies。　This　is　termed　a　〃protective　resemblance。〃　If　however　the　butterfly；　being　itself　savoury　morsel　to　birds；　had　closely　resembled　another　butterfly　which　was　disagreeable　to　birds；　and　therefore　never　eaten　by　them；　it　would　be　as　well　protected　as　if　it　resembled　a　leaf；　and　this　is　what　has　been　happily　termed　〃mimicry〃　by　Mr。　Bates；　who　first　discovered　the　object　of　these　curious　external　imitations　of　one　insect　by　another　belonging　to　a　distinct　genus　or　family；　and　sometimes　even　to　a　distinct　order。　The　clear…　winged　moth　which　resemble　wasps　and　hornets　are　the　best　examples　of　〃mimicry〃　in　our　own　country。

For　a　long　time　all　the　known　cases　of　exact　resemblance　of　one　creature　to　quite　a　different　one　were　confined　to　insects；　and　it　was　therefore　with　great　pleasure　that　I　discovered　in　the　island　of　Bouru　two　birds　which　I　constantly　mistook　for　each　other；　and　which　yet　belonged　to　two　distinct　and　somewhat　distant　families。　One　of　these　is　a　honeysucker　named　Tropidorhynchus　bouruensis；　and　the　other　a　kind　of　oriole；　which　has　been　called　Mimeta　bouruensis。　The　oriole　resembles　the　honeysucker　in　the　following　particulars：　the　upper　and　under　surfaces　of　the　two　birds　are　exactly　of　the　same　tints　of　dark　and　light　brown；　the　Tropidorhynchus　has　a　large　bare　black　patch　round　the　eyes；　this　is　copied　in　the　Mimeta　by　a　patch　of　black　feathers。　The　top　of　the　head　of　the　Tropidorhynchus　has　a　scaly　appearance　from　the　narrow　scale…formed　feathers；　which　are　imitated　by　the　broader　feathers　of　the　Mimeta　having　a　dusky　line　down　each。　The　Tropidorhynchus　has　a　pale　ruff　formed　of　curious　recurved　feathers　on　the　nape　（which　has　given　the　whole　genus　the