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

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

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204 THE JIALAY ARCHIPELAGO. [chap.In all the female birds which I shot, none of the eggs besides theone large one exceeded the size of peas, and there were onlyeight or nine of these, whicli is probably the extreme number abird can lay in one season.Every year the natives come for fifty miles round to obtainthese eggs, which are esteemed a great delicacj^, and when quitefresh are indeed delicious. They are riclier tlian hens' eggs andof a finer flavour, and each one completely tills an ordinary teacup,and foi'ms with bi'ead or rice a very good meal. Thecolour of the shell is a pale brick red, or very rarely pure white.They are elongate and very slightly smaller at one end, fromfour to four and a half inches long by two and a quarter or twoand a half wide.After the eggs are deposited in the sand they are no furthercared for by the mother. The young birds on breaking theshell, work their way wp througli the sand and run oft' at once tothe forest ; and I was assured by ^Mr. Duivenboden of Ternate,that they can fly the very day they are hatched. He had takensome eggs on board his schooner which hatched during thenight, and in the moi'ning the little birds flew readily across thecabin. Considering the great distances the birds come todeposit the eggs in a proper situation (often ten or fifteenmile.s) it seems extraordinary that they should take no furthercare of them. It is, however, quite certain that they neither donor can watch them. The eggs being deposited by a number ofhens in succession in the same hole, would render it impossiblefor each to distinguish its own;and the food necessary for suchlarge birds (consisting entirely of fallen fruits) can only beobtained by roaming over an extensive district, so that if tlienumbers of birds which come down to this single beach in thebreeding season, amounting to many hundreds, were obliged toremain in the A'icinity, many would perish of hunger.In the structure of the feet of this bird, we may detect acause for its departing from the habits of its nearest allies, theMegapodii and Talegalli, which heap up earth, leaves, stones,and sticks into a huge mound, in which they bury their eggs.The feet of the Maleo are not nearly so large or strong in proportionas in these birds, while its claws ai'e short and sti'aightinstead of being long and much curved. The toes are, however,strongly webbed at the base, forming a broad powerful foot,which, with the rather long leg, is well adapted to scratch awaythe loose sand (which flies up in a perfect shower when the birdsare at work), but which could not without much labour accumulatethe heaps of miscellaneous rubbish, which the largegrasping feet of the Megapodius bring together with ease.We may also, I think, see in the peculiar organization of theentire family of the Megapodidse or Brusli Turkeys, a reasonwhy they depart so widely from the usual habits of the Class ofbirds. Each egg being so large as entirely to fill up the abdominalcavity and with difficulty pass the walls of tlie pelvis,

XVII.] CELEBES. 205a considerable interval is required before the successive eggscan be matured (the natives say about thirteen days). Eachbird lays six or eight eggs, or even more each season, so thatbetween the first and last there may be an interval of two orthree months. Now, if these eggs were hatched in the ordinaryway, either the parents must keep sitting continually for thislong period, or if they only began to sit after tlie last egg wasdeposited, the first would be exposed to injury by the climate,or to destruction by the large lizards, snakes, or other animalswhich abound in the district ; because such large birds mustroam about a good deal in search of food. Here then we seemto have a case in which the habits of a bird may be directlytraced to its exceptional organization ;for it will hardly bemaintained that this abnormal structure and peculiar food weregiven to the Megapodidas in order that they might not exhibitthat parental aftection, or possess those domestic instincts sogeneral in the Class of birds, and wliicli so much excite ouradmiration.It has generally been the cu.stom of writers on Natural Historyto take the habits and instincts of animals as fixed points, andto consider their structure and organization as specially adaptedto be in accordance with these. This assumption is liowever anarbitrary one, and has the bad effect of stifling inquiry into thenature and causes of "instincts and habits," treating them asdirectly due to a " first cause," and therefore incomjDrehensibleto us. I believe that a careful consideration of the structure ofa species, and of the peculiar physical and organic conditions bywhich it is surrounded, or has been surrounded in past ages, willoften, as in this case, throw much light on the origin of its haljitsand instincts. These again, combined with changes in externalconditions, react upon structure, and l^y means of "vai'iation"and "natural selection " both are kept in harmony.My friends remained three days, and got plenty of wild pigsand two Anoas, but the latter were much injured by the dogs,and I could only preserve the heads. A grand hunt which weattempted on the third daj^ failed, owing to bad management indriving in the game, and we waited for five hours perched onplatforms in trees without getting a shot, although we had beenassured that pigs, Babinisas, and Andas would rush past us indozens. I myself, with two men, stayed three days longer toget more specimens of the Maleos, and succeeded in preservingtwenty-six very fine ones, the flesh and eggs of which suppliedus with aljundance of good food.The Major sent a boat, as he had promised, to take home mybaggage, while I walked through the forest witli my two boysand a guide, about fourteen miles. For the first half of thedistance there was no path, and we had often to cut our waythrougli tangled rattans or thickets of bamboo. In some of ourturnings to find the most practicable route I expressed my fearthat we were losing our way, as the sun being vertical I could

XVII.] CELEBES. 205a considerable interval is required before <strong>the</strong> successive eggscan be matured (<strong>the</strong> natives say about thirteen days). Eachbird lays six or eight eggs, or even more each season, so thatbetween <strong>the</strong> first and last <strong>the</strong>re may be an interval <strong>of</strong> two orthree months. Now, if <strong>the</strong>se eggs were hatched in <strong>the</strong> ordinaryway, ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> parents must keep sitting continually for thislong period, or if <strong>the</strong>y only began to sit after tlie last egg wasdeposited, <strong>the</strong> first would be exposed to injury by <strong>the</strong> climate,or to destruction by <strong>the</strong> large lizards, snakes, or o<strong>the</strong>r animalswhich abound in <strong>the</strong> district ; because such large birds mustroam about a good deal in search <strong>of</strong> food. Here <strong>the</strong>n we seemto have a case in which <strong>the</strong> habits <strong>of</strong> a bird may be directlytraced to its exceptional organization ;for it will hardly bemaintained that this abnormal structure and peculiar food weregiven to <strong>the</strong> Megapodidas in order that <strong>the</strong>y might not exhibitthat parental aftection, or possess those domestic instincts sogeneral in <strong>the</strong> Class <strong>of</strong> birds, and wliicli so much excite ouradmiration.It has generally been <strong>the</strong> cu.stom <strong>of</strong> writers on Natural Historyto take <strong>the</strong> habits and instincts <strong>of</strong> animals as fixed points, andto consider <strong>the</strong>ir structure and organization as specially adaptedto be in accordance with <strong>the</strong>se. This assumption is liowever anarbitrary one, and has <strong>the</strong> bad effect <strong>of</strong> stifling inquiry into <strong>the</strong>nature and causes <strong>of</strong> "instincts and habits," treating <strong>the</strong>m asdirectly due to a " first cause," and <strong>the</strong>refore incomjDrehensibleto us. I believe that a careful consideration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> structure <strong>of</strong>a species, and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> peculiar physical and organic conditions bywhich it is surrounded, or has been surrounded in past ages, will<strong>of</strong>ten, as in this case, throw much light on <strong>the</strong> origin <strong>of</strong> its haljitsand instincts. <strong>The</strong>se again, combined with changes in externalconditions, react upon structure, and l^y means <strong>of</strong> "vai'iation"and "natural selection " both are kept in harmony.My friends remained three days, and got plenty <strong>of</strong> wild pigsand two Anoas, but <strong>the</strong> latter were much injured by <strong>the</strong> dogs,and I could only preserve <strong>the</strong> heads. A grand hunt which weattempted on <strong>the</strong> third daj^ failed, owing to bad management indriving in <strong>the</strong> game, and we waited for five hours perched onplatforms in trees without getting a shot, although we had beenassured that pigs, Babinisas, and Andas would rush past us indozens. I myself, with two men, stayed three days longer toget more specimens <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Maleos, and succeeded in preservingtwenty-six very fine ones, <strong>the</strong> flesh and eggs <strong>of</strong> which suppliedus with aljundance <strong>of</strong> good food.<strong>The</strong> Major sent a boat, as he had promised, to take home mybaggage, while I walked through <strong>the</strong> forest witli my two boysand a guide, about fourteen miles. For <strong>the</strong> first half <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>distance <strong>the</strong>re was no path, and we had <strong>of</strong>ten to cut our waythrougli tangled rattans or thickets <strong>of</strong> bamboo. In some <strong>of</strong> ourturnings to find <strong>the</strong> most practicable route I expressed my fearthat we were losing our way, as <strong>the</strong> sun being vertical I could

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