the malay archipelago-1-第36章

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！


　other　great　Mammalia　of　Sumatra；　the　elephant　and　the　rhinoceros；　are　more　widely　distributed；　but　the　former　is　much　more　scarce　than　it　was　a　few　years　ago；　and　seems　to　retire　rapidly　before　the　spread　of　cultivation。　Lobo　Kaman　tusks　and　bones　are　occasionally　found　about　in　the　forest；　but　the　living　animal　is　now　never　seen。　The　rhinoceros　（Rhinoceros　sumatranus）　still　abounds；　and　I　continually　saw　its　tracks　and　its　dung；　and　once　disturbed　one　feeding；　which　went　crashing　away　through　the　jungle；　only　permitting　me　a　momentary　glimpse　of　it　through　the　dense　underwood。　I　obtained　a　tolerably　perfect　cranium；　and　a　number　of　teeth；　which　were　picked　up　by　the　natives。

Another　curious　animal；　which　I　had　met　with　in　Singapore　and　in　Borneo；　but　which　was　more　abundant　here；　is　the　Galeopithecus；　or　flying　lemur。　This　creature　has　a　broad　membrane　extending　all　aound　its　body　to　the　extremities　of　the　toes；　and　to　the　point　of　the　rather　long　tail。　This　enables　it　to　pass　obliquely　through　the　air　from　one　tree　to　another。　It　is　sluggish　in　its　motions；　at　least　by　day；　going　up　a　tree　by　short　runs　of　a　few　feet；　and　then　stopping　a　moment　as　if　the　action　was　difficult。　It　rests　during　the　day　clinging　to　the　trunks　of　trees；　where　its　olive　or　brown　fur；　mottled　with　irregular　whitish　spots　and　blotches；　resembles　closely　the　colour　of　mottled　bark；　and　no　doubt　helps　to　protect　it。　Once；　in　a　bright　twilight；　I　saw　one　of　these　animals　run　up　a　trunk　in　a　rather　open　place；　and　then　glide　obliquely　through　the　air　to　another　tree；　on　which　it　alighted　near　its　base；　and　immediately　began　to　ascend。　I　paced　the　distance　from　the　one　tree　to　the　other；　and　found　it　to　be　seventy　yards；　and　the　amount　of　descent　I　estimated　at　not　more　than　thirty…five　or　forty　feet；　or　less　than　one　in　five。　This　I　think　proves　that　the　animal　must　have　some　power　of　guiding　itself　through　the　air；　otherwise　in　so　long　a　distance　it　would　have　little　chance　of　alighting　exactly　upon　the　trunk。　Like　the　Cuscus　of　the　Moluccas；　the　Galeopithecus　feeds　chiefly　on　leaves；　and　possesses　a　very　voluminous　stomach　and　long　convoluted　intestines。　The　brain　is　very　small；　and　the　animal　possesses　such　remarkable　tenacity　of　life；　that　it　is　exceedingly　difficult　to　kill　it　by　any　ordinary　means。　The　tail　is　prehensile；　and　is　probably　made　use　of　as　an　additional　support　while　feeding。　It　is　said　to　have　only　a　single　young　one　at　a　time；　and　my　own　observation　confirms　this　statement；　for　I　once　shot　a　female　with　a　very　small　blind　and　naked　little　creature　clinging　closely　to　its　breast；　which　was　quite　bare　and　much　wrinkled；　reminding　me　of　the　young　of　Marsupials；　to　which　it　seemed　to　form　a　transition。　On　the　back；　and　extending　over　the　limbs　and　membrane；　the　fur　of　these　animals　is　short；　but　exquisitely　soft；　resembling　in　its　texture　that　of　the　Chinchilla。

I　returned　to　Palembang　by　water；　and　while　staying　a　day　at　a　village　while　a　boat　was　being　made　watertight；　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　obtain　a　male；　female；　and　young　bird　of　one　of　the　large　hornbills。　I　had　sent　my　hunters　to　shoot；　and　while　I　was　at　breakfast　they　returned；　bringing　me　a　fine　large　male　of　the　Buceros　bicornis；　which　one　of　them　assured　me　he　had　shot　while　feeding　the　female；　which　was　shut　up　in　a　hole　in　a　tree。　I　had　often　read　of　this　curious　habit；　and　immediately　returned　to　the　place；　accompanied　by　several　of　the　natives。　After　crossing　a　stream　and　a　bog；　we　found　a　large　tree　leaning　over　some　water；　and　on　its　lower　side；　at　a　height　of　about　twenty　feet；　appeared　a　small　hole；　and　what　looked　like　a　quantity　of　mud；　which　I　was　assured　had　been　used　in　stopping　up　the　large　hole。　After　a　while　we　heard　the　harsh　cry　of　a　bird　inside；　and　could　see　the　white　extremity　of　its　beak　put　out。　I　offered　a　rupee　to　anyone　who　would　go　up　and　get　the　bird　out；　with　the　egg　or　young　one；　but　they　all　declared　it　was　too　difficult；　and　they　were　afraid　to　try。　I　therefore　very　reluctantly　came　away。　About　an　hour　afterwards；　much　to　my　surprise；　a　tremendous　loud；　hoarse　screaming　was　heard；　and　the　bird　was　brought　me；　together　with　a　young　one　which　had　been　found　in　the　hole。　This　was　a　most　curious　object；　as　large　as　a　pigeon；　but　without　a　particle　of　plumage　on　any　part　of　it。　It　was　exceedingly　plump　and　soft；　and　with　a　semi…transparent　skin；　so　that　it　looked　more　like　a　bag　of　jelly；　with　head　and　feet　stuck　on；　than　like　a　real　bird。

The　extraordinary　habit　of　the　male；　in　plastering　up　the　female　with　her　egg；　and　feeding　her　during　the　whole　time　of　incubation；　and　until　the　young　one　is　fledged；　is　common　to　several　of　the　large　hornbills；　and　is　one　of　those　strange　facts　in　natural　history　which　are　〃stranger　than　fiction。〃

CHAPTER　IX。

NATURAL　HISTORY　OF　THE　INDO…MALAY　ISLANDS。

IN　the　first　chapter　of　this　work　I　have　stated　generally　the　reasons　which　lead　us　to　conclude　that　the　large　islands　in　the　western　portion　of　the　ArchipelagoJava；　Sumatra；　and　Borneoas　well　as　the　Malay　peninsula　and　the　Philippine　islands；　have　been　recently　separated　from　the　continent　of　Asia。　I　now　propose　to　give　a　sketch　of　the　Natural　History　of　these；　which　I　term　the　Indo…Malay　islands；　and　to　show　how　far　it　supports　this　view；　and　how　much　information　it　is　able　to　give　us　of　the　antiquity　and　origin　of　the　separate　islands。

The　flora　of　the　Archipelago　is　at　present　so　imperfectly　known；　and　I　have　myself　paid　so　little　attention　to　it；　that　I　cannot　draw　from　it　many　facts　of　importance。　The　Malayan　type　of　vegetation　is　however　a　very　important　one；　and　Dr。　Hooker　informs　us；　in　his　〃Flora　Indica；〃　that　it　spreads　over　all　the　moister　and　more　equable　parts　of　India；　and　that　many　plants　found　in　Ceylon；　the　Himalayas；　the　Nilghiri；　and　Khasia　mountains　are　identical　with　those　of　Java　and　the　Malay　peninsula。　Among　the　more　characteristic　forms　of　this　flora　are　the　rattans　climbing　palms　of　the　genus　Calamus；　and　a　great　variety　of　tall；　as　well　as　stemless　palms。　Orchids；　Aracae；　Zingiberaceae　and　ferns；　are　especially　abundant；　and　the　genus　Grammatophyllum　a　gigantic　epiphytal　orchid；　whose　clusters　of　leaves　and　flower…stems　are　ten　or　twelve　feet　longis　peculiar　to　it。　Here；　too；　is　the　domain　of　the　wonderful　pitcher　plants　（Nepenthaceae）；　which　are　only　represented　elsewhere　by　solitary　species　in　Ceylon；　Madagascar；　the　Seychelles；　Celebes；　and　the　Moluccas。　Those　celebrated　fruits；　the　Mangosteen　and　the　Durian；　are　natives　of　this　region；　and　will　hardly　grow　out　of　the　Archipelago。　The　mountain　plants　of　Java　have　already　been　alluded　to　as　showing　a　former　connexion　with　the　continent　of　Asia；　and　a　still　more　extraordinary　and　more　ancient　connection　with　Australia　has　been　indicated　by　Mr。　Low's　collections　from　the　summit　of　Kini…balou；　the　loftiest　mountain　in　Borneo。

Plants　have　much　greater　facilities　for　passing　across　arms　of　the　sea　than　animals。　The　lighter　seeds　are　easily　carried　by　the　winds；　and　many　of　them　are　specially　adapted　to　be　so　carried。　Others　can　float　a　long　tune　unhurt　in　the　water；　and　are　drifted　by　winds　and　currents　to　distant　shores。　Pigeons；　and　other　fruit…eating　birds；　are　also　the　means　of　distributing　plants；　since　the　seeds　readily　germinate　after　passing　through　their　bodies。　It　thus　happens　that　plants　which　grow　on　shores　and　lowlands　have　a　wide　distribution；　and　it　requires　an　extensive　knowledge　of　the　species　of　each　island　to　determine　the　relations　of　their　floras　with　any　approach　to　accuracy。　At　present　we　have　no　such　complete　knowledge　of　the　botany　of　the　several　islands　of　the　Archipelago；　and　it　is　only　by　such　striking　phenomena　as　the　occurrence　of　northern　and　even　European　genera　on　the　summits　of　the　Javanese　mountains　that　we　can　prove　the　former　connection　of　that　island　with　the　Asiatic　continent。　With　land　animals；　however；　the　case　is　very　different。　Their　means　of　passing　a　wide　expanse　of　sea　are　far　more　restricted。　Their　distribution　has　been　more　accurately　studied；　and　we　possess　a　much　more　complete　knowledge　of　such　groups　as　mammals　and　birds　in　most　of　the　islands；　than　we　do　of　the　plants。　It　is　these　two　classes　which　will　supply　us　with　m