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

XXIV.] BATCHIAN. 253known bird. The general plumage is very sober, being a pureashy olive, with a purplish tinge on the back ; the crown of thehead is beautifully glossed with pale metallic violet, and thefeathers of the front extend as much over tlie beak as in mostof the family. The neck and breast are scaled with tine metallicgreen, and the feathers on the lower part are elongated oneach side, so as to form a two-pointed gorget, which can befolded beneath the wings, or partially erected and spread outin the same way as the side plumes of most of the birds ofparadise. The four long white plumes which give the bird itsaltogether unique cliaracter, spring from little tubercles closeto the upper edge of the shoulder or bend of the wing ; theyare narrow, gently curved, and equally webbed on both sides,of a pure ci'eamy white colour. They ai-e about six inches long,equalling the wing, and can be raised at right angles to it, orlaid along the bod}^ at the pleasure of the bird. The bill is hoi*ncolour, the legs yellow, and the iris pale oliAe. This strikingnovelty has been named by Mr. G. E. Gray of the BritishMu.seum, Semioptera Wallace!, or " Wallace's Standard wing."A few days later I obtained an exceedingly beautiful newbutterfly, allied to the fine blue Papilio Ulysses, but differingfrom it in the colour being of a more intense tint, and in havinga row of blue stripes' around the margin of the lower wings.This good beginning was, however, rather decejDtive, and I soonfound that insects, and especially butterflies, wei*e somewhatscarce, and birds in far less variety than I had anticipated.Several of the fine ^loluccan species were however obtained.The handsome red lory with green wings and a j^ellow spot inthe back (Lorius garrulus) was not uncommon. When theJambu, or rose apple (Eugenia sp.), was in flower in the village,flocks of the little lorikeet (Charmosyna placentis), already metwith in Gilolo, came to feed upon the nectar, and I obtainedas many specimens as I desired. Another beautiful bird of theparrot tribe was the Geoftroyus cyanicollis, a green parrot witha red bill and head, which colour shaded on the crown intoazure blue, and thence into verditer blue and the green of theback. Two large and handsome fruit pigeons, with metallicgreen, ashy, and rufous plumage, were not uncommon ; and Iwas rewarded by finding a splendid deep blue roller (Eurystomusazureus), a lovely golden-capped sunbird (Xectarinea auriceps),and a fine racquet-tailed kingfisher (Tanysiptera isis), all ofwhich were entirely new to ornitholgists. Of insects I obtaineda considerable number of interesting beetles, including manyfine longicorns, among Avhich was tlie largest and handsomestspecies of the genus Glenea yet discovered. Among butterfliestlie beautiful little Danis sebaj was abundant, making the forestsgay with its delicate wings of white and tlie richest metallicblue ; while showy Papilios, and pretty Pierida^, and dark, richEuplaeas, many of them new, furnished a constant source ofinterest arid pleasing occupation.