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
long—a mere fleshy tubercle, which may be very easily
overlooked. I t 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 tbe 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 nine 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 miany 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