The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

xiY.] KATUKAL HISTOKY OF TIMOR. 151CHAPTER XIV.THE NATURAL HISTOKY OF THE TIMOR GROUP.If we look at a map of the Archipelago, nothing seems moreunlikely than that the closely connected chain of islands fromJava to Timor should differ materially in their natural productions.Tliere are, it is true, cei'tain differences of climate andof physical geograjihy, but tliese do not correspond "svith thedivision the naturalist i-s obliged to make. Between the twoends of the chain there is a great contrast of climate, tlie westbeing exceedingly moist and having only a short and irregulardry season, the east being as dry and parclied up, and havingbut a short wet season. Tliis change, llOwe^'er, occurs aboutthe middle of Java, the eastern portion of that island having asstrongly marked seasons as Lombock and Timor. There is alsoa difference in physical geography ; but this occurs at theeastern termination of the chain, Avhere the volcanoes wliich arethe marked featui-e of Java, Bali, Lombock, Sumbawa, andFlores, tui-n northwards through Gunong Ajji to Banda, leavingTimor with only one volcanic peak near its centre ;wliile themain portion of the island consists of old sedimentary rocks.Neither of these physical differences corresponds with the remarkablechange in natural jiroductions which occurs at theStraits of Lombock, separating the island of that name fromBali ;and which is at once so large in amount and of so fundamentala character, as to form an imjDortant feature in thezoological geography of our glol)e.The Dutch naturalist Zollinger, who resided a long time inthe island of Bali, informs us that its productions completelyassimilate with tliose of Java, and that he is not aware of asingle animal found in it which does not inhalnt tlie largerisland. During the few days which I stayed on tlie north coastof Bali on my way to Lombock, I saw several birds highlycharacteristic of Javan ornithology. Among these were theyellow-headed weaver (Ploceus hypoxanthus), the black gra.sshopperthrush (Copsychus amrenus), the rosy barbet (Megahvmarosea), the Malay oriole (Oriolus horsfieldi), the Java groundstarling (Sturnopastor jalla), and the Javanese three-toed woodpecker(Chrysonotus tiga). On crossing o"\"er to Lombock,sepai'ated from Bali by a strait less than twenty miles wide, Inaturally expected to meet witli some of these birds again ; butduring a stay there of three months I never saw one of them,but found a totally different set of species, most of which wereutterly unknown not only in Java, but also in Boi'neo, Sumatra,and Malacca. For example, among the commonest l)irds in