the malay archipelago-2-第57节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


y　interesting　collection　which　served　to　determine　the　limits　of　the　zoological　group　of　Celebes；　as　already　explained　in　my　chapter　on　the　natural　history　of　that　island。　His　next　journey　was　to　Flores　and　Solor；　where　he　obtained　some　valuable　materials；　which　I　have　used　in　my　chapter　on　the　natural　history　of　the　Timor　group。　He　afterwards　went　to　Coti　on　the　east　coast　of　Borneo；　from　which　place　I　was　very　anxious　to　obtain　collections；　as　it　is　a　quite　new　locality　as　far　as　possible　from　Sarawak；　and　I　had　heard　very　good　accounts　of　it。　On　his　return　thence　to　Sourabaya　in　Java；　he　was　to　have　gone　to　the　entirely　unknown　Sumba　or　Sandal…wood　Island。　Most　unfortunately；　however；　he　was　seized　with　a　terrible　fever　on　his　arrival　at　Coti；　and；　after　lying　there　some　weeks；　was　taken　to　Singapore　in　a　very　bad　condition；　where　he　arrived　after　I　had　left　for　England。　When　he　recovered　he　obtained　employment　in　Singapore；　and　I　lost　his　services　as　a　collector。

The　three　concluding　chapters　of　my　work　will　treat　of　the　birds　of　Paradise；　the　Natural　History　of　the　Papuan　（stands；　and　the　Races　of　Man　in　the　Malay　Archipelago。


CHAPTER　XXXVIII。

THE　BIRDS　OF　PARADISE。

AS　many　of　my　journeys　were　made　with　the　express　object　of　obtaining　specimens　of　the　Birds　of　Paradise；　and　learning　something　of　their　habits　and　distribution；　and　being　（as　far　as　I　am　aware）　the　only　Englishman　who　has　seen　these　wonderful　birds　in　their　native　forests；　and　obtained　specimens　of　many　of　them；　I　propose　to　give　here；　in　a　connected　form；　the　result　of　my　observations　and　inquiries。

When　the　earliest　European　voyagers　reached　the　Moluccas　in　search　of　cloves　and　nutmegs；　which　were　then　rare　and　precious　spices；　they　were　presented　with　the　dried　shins　of　birds　so　strange　and　beautiful　as　to　excite　the　admiration　even　of　those　wealth…seeking　rovers。　The　Malay　traders　gave　them　the　name　of　〃Manuk　dewata；〃　or　God's　birds；　and　the　Portuguese；　finding　that　they　had　no　feet　or　wings；　and　not　being　able　to　learn　anything　authentic　about　then；　called　them　〃Passaros　de　Col；〃　or　Birds　of　the　Sun；　while　the　learned　Dutchmen；　who　wrote　in　Latin；　called　them　〃Avis　paradiseus；〃　or　Paradise　Bird。　John　van　Linschoten　gives　these　names　in　1598；　and　tells　us　that　no　one　has　seen　these　birds　alive；　for　they　live　in　the　air；　always　turning　towards　the　sun；　and　never　lighting　on　the　earth　till　they　die；　for　they　have　neither　feet　nor　wings；　as；　he　adds；　may　be　seen　by　the　birds　carried　to　India；　and　sometimes　to　Holland；　but　being　very　costly　they　were　then　rarely　seen　in　Europe。　More　than　a　hundred　years　later　Mr。　William　Funnel；　who　accompanied　Dampier；　and　wrote　an　account　of　the　voyage；　saw　specimens　at　Amboyna；　and　was　told　that　they　came　to　Banda　to　eat　nutmegs；　which　intoxicated　them　and　made　them　fall　down　senseless；　when　they　were　killed　by　ants。　Down　to　1760；　when　Linnaeus　named　the　largest　species；　Paradisea　apoda　（the　footless　Paradise　Bird）；　no　perfect　specimen　had　been　seen　in　Europe；　and　absolutely　nothing　was　known　about　them。　And　even　now；　a　hundred　years　later；　most　books　state　that　they　migrate　annually　to　Ternate；　Banda；　and　Amboyna；　whereas　the　fact　is；　that　they　are　as　completely　unknown　in　those　islands　in　a　wild　state　as　they　are　in　England。　Linnaeus　was　also　acquainted　with　a　small　species；　which　he　named　Paradisea　regia　（the　King　Bird　of　Paradise）；　and　since　then　nine　or　ten　others　have　been　named；　all　of　which　were　first　described　from　skins　preserved　by　the　savages　of　New　Guinea；　and　generally　more　or　less　imperfect。　These　are　now　all　known　in　the　Malay　Archipelago　as　〃Burong　coati；〃　or　dead　birds；　indicating　that　the　Malay　traders　never　saw　them　alive。

The　Paradiseidae　are　a　group　of　moderate…sized　birds；　allied　in　their　structure　and　habits　to　crows；　starlings；　and　to　the　Australian　honeysuckers；　but　they　are　characterised　by　extraordinary　developments　of　plumage；　which　are　unequalled　in　any　other　family　of　birds。　In　several　species　large　tufts　of　delicate　bright…coloured　feathers　spring　from　each　side　of　the　body　beneath　the　wings；　forming　trains；　or　fans；　or　shields；　and　the　middle　feathers　of　the　tail　are　often　elongated　into　wires；　twisted　into　fantastic　shapes；　or　adorned　with　the　most　brilliant　metallic　tints。　In　another　set　of　species　these　accessory　plumes　spring　from　the　head；　the　back；　or　the　shoulders；　while　the　intensity　of　colour　and　of　metallic　lustre　displayed　by　their　plumage；　is　not　to　be　equalled　by　any　other　birds；　except；　perhaps；　the　humming…birds；　and　is　not　surpassed　even　by　these。　They　have　been　usually　classified　under　two　distinct　families；　Paradiseidae　and　Epimachidae；　the　latter　characterised　by　long　and　slender　beaks；　and　supposed　to　be　allied　to　the　Hoopoes；　but　the　two　groups　are　so　closely　allied　in　every　essential　point　of　structure　and　habits；　that　I　shall　consider　them　as　forming　subdivisions　of　one　family。　I　will　now　give　a　short　description　of　each　of　the　known　species；　and　then　add　some　general　remarks　on　their　natural　history。

The　Great　Bird　of　Paradise　（Paradisea　apoda　of　Linnaeus）　is　the　largest　species　known；　being　generally　seventeen　or　eighteen　inches　from　the　beak　to　the　tip　of　the　tail。　The　body；　wings；　and　tail　are　of　a　rich　coffee…brown；　which　deepens　on　the　breast　to　a　blackish…violet　or　purple…brown。　The　whole　top　of　the　head　and　neck　is　of　an　exceedingly　delicate　straw…yellow；　the　feathers　being　short　and　close　set；　so　as　to　resemble　plush　or　velvet；　the　lower　part　of　the　throat　up　to　the　eye　clothed　with　scaly　feathers　of　an　emerald；　green　colour；　and　with　a　rich　metallic　gloss；　and　velvety　plumes　of　a　still　deeper　green　extend　in　a　band　across　the　forehead　and　chin　as　far　as　the　eye；　which　is　bright　yellow。　The　beak　is　pale　lead　blue；　and　the　feet；　which　are　rather　large　and　very　strong　and　well　formed；　are　of　a　pale　ashy…pink。　The　two　middle　feathers　of　the　tail　have　no　webs；　except　a　very　small　one　at　the　base　and　at　the　extreme　tip；　forming　wire…like　cirrhi；　which　spread　out　in　an　elegant　double　curve；　and　vary　from　twenty…four　to　thirty…four　inches　long。　From　each　side　of　the　body；　beneath　the　wings；　springs　a　dense　tuft　of　long　and　delicate　plumes；　sometimes　two　feet　in　length；　of　the　most　intense　golden…orange　colour　and　very　glossy；　but　changing　towards　the　tips　into　a　pale　brown。　This　tuft　of　plumage　cam　be　elevated　and　spread　out　at　pleasure；　so　as　almost　to　conceal　the　body　of　the　bird。

These　splendid　ornaments　are　entirely　confined　to　the　male　sex；　while　the　female　is　really　a　very　plain　and　ordinary…looking　bird　of　a　uniform　coffee…brown　colour　which　never　changes；　neither　does　she　possess　the　long　tail　wires；　nor　a　single　yellow　or　green　feather　about　the　dead。　The　young　males　of　the　first　year　exactly　resemble　the　females；　so　that　they　can　only　be　distinguished　by　dissection。　The　first　change　is　the　acquisition　of　the　yellow　and　green　colour　on　the　head　and　throat；　and　at　the　same　time　the　two　middle　tail　feathers　grow　a　few　inches　longer　than　the　rest；　but　remain　webbed　on　both　sides。　At　a　later　period　these　feathers　arc　replaced　by　the　long　bare　shafts　of　the　full　length；　as　in　the　adult　bird；　but　there　is　still　no　sign　of　the　magnificent　orange　side…plumes；　which　later　still　complete　the　attire　of　the　perfect　male。　To　effect　these　changes　there　must　be　at　least　three　successive　moultings；　and　as　the　birds　were　found　by　me　in　all　the　stages　about　the　same　time；　it　is　probable　that　they　moult　only　once　a　year；　and　that　the　full　plumage　is　not　acquired　till　the　bird　is　four　years　old。　It　was　long　thought　that　the　fine　train　of　feathers　was　assumed　for　a　short　time　only　at　the　breeding　season；　but　my　own　experience；　as　well　as　the　observation　of　birds　of　an　allied　species　which　I　brought　home　with　me；　and　which　lived　two　years　in　this　country；　show　that　the　complete　plumage　is　retained　during　the　whole　year；　except　during　a　short　period　of　moulting　as　with　most　other　birds。

The　Great　Bird　of　Paradise　is　very　active　and　vigorous　and　seems　to　be　in　constant　motion　all　day　long。　It　is　very　abundant；　small　flocks　of　females　and　young　male　being　constantly　met　with；　and　though　the　full…plumaged　birds　are　less　plentiful；　their　loud　cries；　which　are　heard　daily；　show　that　they　also　are　very　numerous。　Their　note　is；　〃Wawk…wawk…wawk…Wok…wok…wok；〃　and　is　so　loud　and　shrill　as　to　be　heard　a　great　distance；　and　to　form　the　most　prominent　and　characteristic　animal　sound　in　the　Aru　Islands。　The　mode　of　nidification　is　unknown；　but　the　natives　told　me　that　the　nest　was　formed　of　leaves　placed　on　an　ant's　nest；　or　on　some　projecting　limb　of　a　very　lofty　tree；　and　they　believe　that　it　contains　only　one　young　bird。　The　egg　is　quite　unknown；　and　the　natives　declared　they　had　never　seen　it；　and　a　very　high　reward　offered　for　one　by　a　Dutch　official　did　not　meet　with　success。　They　moult　about　January　or　February；　and　in　May；　when　they　are　in　full　plumage；　the　males　assemble　early　in　the　morning　to　exhibit　themselves　in　the　singular　manner　already　described　at　p。　252。　This　habit　enables　the　natives　to　obtain　specimens　with　comparative　ease。　As　soon　as　they　find　that　the　birds　have　fled　upon　a　tree　on　which　to　assemble；　they　build　a　little　shelter　of　palm　leaves　in　a　conv