the malay archipelago-2-第7章

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ths　I　only　saw　it　once　again；　and　shortly　afterwards　I　saw　the　male　flying　high　in　the　air　at　the　mining　village。　I　had　begun　to　despair　of　ever　getting　a　specimen；　as　it　seemed　so　rare　and　wild；　till　one　day；　about　the　beginning　of　January；　I　found　a　beautiful　shrub　with　large　white　leafy　bracts　and　yellow　flowers；　a　species　of　Mussaenda；　and　saw　one　of　these　noble　insects　hovering　over　it；　but　it　was　too　quick　for　me；　and　flew　away。　The　next　clay　I　went　again　to　the　same　shrub　and　succeeded　in　catching　a　female；　and　the　day　after　a　fine　male。　I　found　it　to　be　as　I　had　expected；　a　perfectly　new　and　most　magnificent　species；　and　one　of　the　most　gorgeously　coloured　butterflies　in　the　world。　Fine　specimens　of　the　male　are　more　than　seven　inches　across　the　wings；　which　are　velvety　black　and　fiery　orange；　the　latter　colour　replacing　the　green　of　the　allied　species。　The　beauty　and　brilliancy　of　this　insect　are　indescribable；　and　none　but　a　naturalist　can　understand　the　intense　excitement　I　experienced　when　I　at　length　captured　it。　On　taking　it　out　of　my　net　and　opening　the　glorious　wings；　my　heart　began　to　beat　violently；　the　blood　rushed　to　my　head；　and　I　felt　much　more　like　fainting　than　I　have　done　when　in　apprehension　of　immediate　death。　I　had　a　headache　the　rest　of　the　day；　so　great　was　the　excitement　produced　by　what　will　appear　to　most　people　a　very　inadequate　cause。

I　had　decided　to　return　to　Ternate　in　a　week　or　two　more；　but　this　grand　capture　determined　me　to　stay　on　till　I　obtained　a　good　series　of　the　new　butterfly；　which　I　have　since　named　Ornithoptera　croesus。　The　Mussaenda　bush　was　an　admirable　place；　which　I　could　visit　every　day　on　my　way　to　the　forest；　and　as　it　was　situated　in　a　dense　thicket　of　shrubs　and　creepers；　I　set　my　man　Lahi　to　clear　a　space　all　round　it；　so　that　I　could　easily　get　at　any　insect　that　might　visit　it。　Afterwards；　finding　that　it　was　often　necessary　to　wait　some　time　there；　I　had　a　little　seat　put　up　under　a　tree　by　the　side　of　it；　where　I　came　every　day　to　eat　my　lunch；　and　thus　had　half　an　hour's　watching　about　noon；　besides　a　chance　as　I　passed　it　in　the　morning。　In　this　way　I　obtained　on　an　average　one　specimen　a　day　for　a　long　time；　but　more　than　half　of　these　were　females；　and　more　than　half　the　remainder　worn　or　broken　specimens；　so　that　I　should　not　have　obtained　many　perfect　males　had　I　not　found　another　station　for　them。

As　soon　as　I　had　seen　them　come　to　flowers；　I　sent　my　man　Lahi　with　a　net　on　purpose　to　search　for　them；　as　they　had　also　been　seen　at　some　flowering　trees　on　the　beach；　and　I　promised　him　half　a　day's　wages　extra　for　every　good　specimen　he　could　catch。　After　a　day　or　two　he　brought　me　two　very　fair　specimens；　and　told　me　he　had　caught　them　in　the　bed　of　a　large　rocky　stream　that　descends　from　the　mountains　to　the　sea　abort　a　mile　below　the　village。　They　flew　down　this　river；　settling　occasionally　on　stones　and　rocks　in　the　water；　and　he　was　obliged　to　wade　up　it　or　jump　from　rock　to　rock　to　get　at　them。　I　went　with　him　one　day；　but　found　that　the　stream　was　far　too　rapid　and　the　stones　too　slippery　for　me　to　do　anything；　so　I　left　it　entirely　to　him；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　time　we　stayed　in　Batchian　he　used　to　be　out　all　day；　generally　bringing　me　one；　and　on　good　days　two　or　three　specimens。　I　was　thus　able　to　bring　away　with　me　more　than　a　hundred　of　both　sexes；　including　perhaps　twenty　very　fine　males；　though　not　more　than　five　or　six　that　were　absolutely　perfect。

My　daily　walk　now　led　me；　first　about　half　a　mile　along　the　sandy　beach；　then　through　a　sago　swamp　over　a　causeway　of　very　shaky　poles　to　the　village　of　the　Tomore　people。　Beyond　this　was　the　forest　with　patches　of　new　clearing；　shady　paths；　and　a　considerable　quantity　of　felled　timber。　I　found　this　a　very　fair　collecting　ground；　especially　for　beetles。　The　fallen　trunks　in　the　clearings　abounded　with　golden　Buprestidae　and　curious　Brenthidae；　and　longicorns；　while　in　the　forest　I　found　abundance　of　the　smaller　Curculionidae；　many　longicorns；　and　some　fine　green　Carabidae。

Butterflies　were　not　abundant；　but　I　obtained　a　few　more　of　the　fine　blue　Papilio；　and　a　number　of　beautiful　little　Lycaenidae；　as　well　as　a　single　specimen　of　the　very　rare　Papilio　Wallacei；　of　which　I　had　taken　the　hitherto　unique　specimen　in　the　Aru　Islands。

The　most　interesting　birds　I　obtained　here；　were　the　beautiful　blue　kingfisher；　Todiramphus　diops；　the　fine　green　and　purple　doves；　Ptilonopus　superbus　and　P。　iogaster；　and　several　new　birds　of　small　size。　My　shooters　still　brought　me　in　specimens　of　the　Semioptera　Wallacei；　and　I　was　greatly　excited　by　the　positive　statements　of　several　of　the　native　hunters　that　another　species　of　this　bird　existed；　much　handsomer　and　more　remarkable。　They　declared　that　the　plumage　was　glossy　black；　with　metallic　green　breast　as　in　my　species；　but　that　the　white　shoulder　plumes　were　twice　as　long；　and　hung　down　far　below　the　body　of　the　bird。　They　declared　that　when　hunting　pigs　or　deer　far　in　the　forest　they　occasionally　saw　this　bird；　but　that　it　was　rare。　I　immediately　offered　twelve　guilders　（a　pound）　for　a　specimen；　but　all　in　vain；　and　I　am　to　this　day　uncertain　whether　such　a　bird　exists。　Since　I　left；　the　German　naturalist；　Dr。　Bernstein；　stayed　many　months　in　the　island　with　a　large　staff　of　hunters　collecting　for　the　Leyden　Museum；　and　as　he　was　not　more　successful　than　myself；　we　must　consider　either　that　the　bird　is　very　rare；　or　is　altogether　a　myth。

Batchian　is　remarkable　as　being　the　most　eastern　point　on　the　globe　inhabited　by　any　of　the　Quadrumana。　A　large　black　baboon…　monkey　（Cynopithecus　nigrescens）　is　abundant　in　some　parts　of　the　forest。　This　animal　has　bare　red　callosities；　and　a　rudimentary　tail　about　an　inch　longa　mere　fleshy　tubercle；　which　may　be　very　easily　overlooked。　It　is　the　same　species　that　is　found　all　over　the　forests　of　Celebes；　and　as　none　of　the　other　Mammalia　of　that　island　extend　into　Batchian　I　am　inclined　to　suppose　that　this　species　has　been　accidentally　introduced　by　the　roaming　Malays；　who　often　carry　about　with　them　tame　monkeys　and　other　animals。　This　is　rendered　more　probable　by　the　fact　that　the　animal　is　not　found　in　Gilolo；　which　is　only　separated　from　Batchian　by　a　very　narrow　strait。　The　introduction　may　have　been　very　recent；　as　in　a　fertile　and　unoccupied　island　such　an　animal　would　multiply　rapidly。　The　only　other　mammals　obtained　were　an　Eastern　opossum；　which　Dr。　Gray　has　described　as　Cuscus　ornatus；　the　little　flying　opossum；　Belideus　ariel；　a　Civet　cat；　Viverra　zebetha；　and　nice　species　of　bats；　most　of　the　smaller　ones　being　caught　in　the　dusk　with　my　butterfly　net　as　they　flew　about　before　the　house。

After　much　delay；　owing　to　bad　weather　and　the　illness　of　one　of　my　men；　I　determined　to　visit　Kasserota　（formerly　the　chief　village）；　situated　up　a　small　stream；　on　an　island　close　to　the　north　coast　of　Batchian；　where　I　was　told　that　many　rare　birds　were　found。　After　my　boat　was　loaded　and　everything　ready；　three　days　of　heavy　squalls　prevented　our　starting；　and　it　was　not　till　the　21st　of　March　that　we　got　away。　Early　next　morning　we　entered　the　little　river；　and　in　about　an　hour　we　reached　the　Sultan's　house；　which　I　had　obtained　permission　to　use。　It　was　situated　on　the　bank　of　the　river；　and　surrounded　by　a　forest　of　fruit　trees；　among　which　were　some　of　the　very　loftiest　and　most　graceful　cocoa…nut　palms　I　have　ever　seen。　It　rained　nearly　all　that　day；　and　I　could　do　little　but　unload　and　unpack。　Towards　the　afternoon　it　cleared　up；　and　I　attempted　to　explore　in　various　directions；　but　found　to　my　disgust　that　the　only　path　was　a　perfect　mud　swamp；　along　which　it　was　almost　impossible　to　walk；　and　the　surrounding　forest　so　damp　and　dark　as　to　promise　little　in　the　way　of　insects。　I　found　too　on　inquiry　that　the　people　here　made　no　clearings；　living　entirely　on　sago；　fruit；　fish；　and　game；　and　the　path　only　led　to…　a　steep　rocky　mountain　equally　impracticable　and　unproductive。　The　next　day　I　sent　my　men　to　this　hill；　hoping　it　might　produce　some　good　birds；　but　they　returned　with　only　two　common　species；　and　I　myself　had　been　able　to　get　nothing；　every　little　track　I　had　attempted　to　follow　leading　to　a　dense　sago　swamp。　I　saw　that　I　should　waste　time　by　staying　here；　and　determined　to　leave　the　following　day。

This　is　one　of　those　spots　so　hard　for　the　European　naturalist　to　conceive；　where　with　all　the　riches　of　a　tropical　vegetation；　and　partly　perhaps　from　the　very　luxuriance　of　that　vegetation；　insects　are　as　scarce　as　in　the　most　barren　parts　of　Europe；　and　hardly　more　conspicuous。　In　temperate　climates　there　is　a　tolerable　uniformity　in　the　distribution　of　insects　over　those　parts　of　a　country　in　which　there　is　a　similarity　in　the　vegetation；　any　deficiency　being　easily　accounted　for　by　the　absence　of　wood　or　uniformity　of　surface。　The　traveller　hastily　passing　through　such　a　country　can　at　once　pick　out　a　collecting　ground　which　will　afford　him　a　fair　notion　of　its　entomology。　Here　the　case　is　different。　There　are　certain　requisites　of　a　good　collecting　ground　which　can　only　be　ascertained　to　exist　by　some　days'　search　in　the　vicinity　of　each　village。　In　some　places　there　is　no　virgin　forest；　as　at　Djilolo　and　Sahoe；　in　others　there　are　no　open　pathways　or　clearings；　as　here。　At　Batchian　there　are　only　two　tolerable　collecting　places；the　road　to　the　coal　mines；　and　the　new　clearings　made　by　the　Tomóre　people；　the　latter　being　by　far　the　most　productive。　I　believe　the　fact　to　be　that　insects　are　pretty　uniformly　distributed　over　these　countries　（where　the　forests　have　not　been　cleared　away）；　and　are　so　scarce　in　any　one　spot　that　searching　for　them　is　almost　useless。　If　the　forest　is　all　cleared　away；　almost　all　the　insects　disappear　with　it；　but　when　small　clearings　and　paths　are　made；　the　fallen　trees　in　various　stages　of　drying　and　decay；　the　rotting　leaves；　the　loosening　bark　and　the　fungoid　growths　upon　it；　together　with　the　flowers　that　appear　in　much　greater　abundance　where　the　light　is　admitted；　are　so　many　attractions　to　the　insects　for　miles　around；　and　cause　a　wonderful　accumulation　of　species　and　individuals。　When　the　entomologist　can　discover　such　a　spot；　he　does　more　in　a　mouth　than　he　could　possibly　do　by　a　year's　search　in　the　depths　of　the　undisturbed　forest。

The　next　morning　we　left　early；　and　reached　the　mouth　of　the　little　river　in　about　au　hour。　It　flows　through　a　perfectly　flat　alluvial　plain；　but　there　are　hills　which　approach　it　near　the　mouth。　Towards　the　lower　part；　in　a　swamp　where　the　salt…water　must　enter　at　high　tides；　were　a　number　of　elegant　tree…ferns　from　eight　to　fifteen　feet　high。　These　are　generally　considered　to　be　mountain　plants；　and　rarely　to　occur　on　the　equator　at　an　elevation　of　less　than　one　or　two　thousand　feet。　In　Borneo；　in　the　Aru　Islands；　and　on　the　banks　of　the　Amazon；　I　have　observed　them　at　the　level　of　the　sea；　and　think　it　probable　that　the　altitude　supposed　to　be　requisite　for　them　may　have　been　deduced　from　facts　observed　in　countries　where　the　plains　and　lowlands　are　largely　cultivated；　and　most　of　the　indigenous　vegetation　destroyed。　Such　is　the　case　in　most　parts　of　Java；　India；　Jamaica；　and　Brazil；　where　the　vegetation　of　the　tropics　has　been　most　fu