The Hills Were
Covered With A Dense Scrubby Bush Of Bamboos And Prickly Trees
And Shrubs, The Plains Were Adorned
With hundreds of noble palm-
trees, and in many places with a luxuriant shrubby vegetation.
Birds were plentiful and very
Interesting, and I now saw for the
first time many Australian forms that are quite absent from the
islands westward. Small white cockatoos were abundant, and their
loud screams, conspicuous white colour, and pretty yellow crests,
rendered them a very important feature in the landscape. This is
the most westerly point on the globe where any of the family are
to be found. Some small honeysuckers of the genus Ptilotis, and
the strange moundmaker (Megapodius gouldii), are also here first
met with on the traveller's journey eastward. The last mentioned
bird requires a fuller notice.
The Megapodidae are a small family of birds found only in
Australia and the surrounding islands, but extending as far as
the Philippines and Northwest Borneo. They are allied to the
gallinaceous birds, but differ from these and from all others in
never sitting upon their eggs, which they bury in sand, earth, or
rubbish, and leave to be hatched by the heat of the sun or by
fermentation. They are all characterised by very large feet and
long curved claws, and most of the species of Megapodius rake and
scratch together all kinds of rubbish, dead leaves, sticks,
stones, earth, rotten wood, etc., until they form a large mound,
often six feet high and twelve feet across, in the middle of
which they bury their eggs. The natives can tell by the condition
of these mounds whether they contain eggs or not; and they rob
them whenever they can, as the brick-red eggs (as large as those
of a swan) are considered a great delicacy. A number of birds are
said to join in making these mounds and lay their eggs together,
so that sometimes forty or fifty may be found. The mounds are to
be met with here and there in dense thickets, and are great
puzzles to strangers, who cannot understand who can possibly have
heaped together cartloads of rubbish in such out-of-the-way
places; and when they inquire of the natives they are but little
wiser, for it almost always appears to them the wildest romance
to be told that it is all done by birds. The species found in
Lombock is about the size of a small hen, and entirely of dark
olive and brown tints. It is a miscellaneous feeder, devouring
fallen fruits, earthworms, snails, and centipedes, but the flesh
is white and well-flavoured when properly cooked.
The large green pigeons were still better eating, and were much
more plentiful. These fine birds, exceeding our largest tame
pigeons in size, abounded on the palm-trees, which now bore huge
bunches of fruits - mere hard globular nuts, about an inch in
diameter, and covered with a dry green skin and a very small
portion of pulp. Looking at the pigeon's bill and head, it would
seem impossible that it could swallow such large masses, or that
it could obtain any nourishment from them; yet I often shot these
birds with several palm-fruits in the crop, which generally burst
when they fell to the ground. I obtained here eight species of
Kingfishers; among which was a very beautiful new one, named by
Mr. Gould, Halcyon fulgidus. It was found always in thickets,
away from water, and seemed to feed on snails and insects picked
up from the ground after the manner of the great Laughing Jackass
of Australia. The beautiful little violet and orange species
(Ceyx rufidorsa) is found in similar situations, and darts
rapidly along like a flame of fire. Here also I first met with
the pretty Australian Bee-eater (Merops ornatus). This elegant
little bird sits on twigs in open places, gazing eagerly around,
and darting off at intervals to seize some insect which it sees
flying near; returning afterwards to the same twig to swallow it.
Its long, sharp, curved bill, the two long narrow feathers in its
tail, its beautiful green plumage varied with rich brown and
black and vivid blue on the throat, render it one of the most
graceful and interesting objects a naturalist can see for the
first time.
Of all the birds of Lombock, however, I sought most after the
beautiful ground thrushes (Pitta concinna), and always thought
myself lucky if I obtained one. They were found only in the dry
plains densely covered with thickets, and carpeted at this season
with dead leaves. They were so shy that it was very difficult to
get a shot at them, and it was only after a good deal of practice
that I discovered low to do it. The habit of these birds is to
hop about on the ground, picking up insects, and on the least
alarm to run into the densest thicket or take a flight close to
the ground. At intervals they utter a peculiar cry of two notes
which when once heard is easily recognised, and they can also be
heard hopping along among the dry leaves.
My practice was, therefore, to walk cautiously along the narrow
pathways with which the country abounded, and on detecting any sign
of a Pitta's vicinity to stand motionless and give a gentle whistle
occasionally, imitating the notes as near as possible. After half
an hour's waiting I was often rewarded by seeing the pretty bird
hopping along in the thicket. Then I would perhaps lose sight of
it again, until leaving my gun raised and ready for a shot, a
second glimpse would enable me to secure my prize, and admire its
soft puffy plumage and lovely colours. The upper part is rich
soft green, the head jet black with a stripe of blue and brown
over each eye; at the base of the tail and on the shoulders are
bands of bright silvery blue; the under side is delicate buff
with a stripe of rich crimson, bordered with black on the belly.
Beautiful grass-green doves, little crimson and black flower-
peckers, large black cuckoos, metallic king-crows, golden
orioles, and the fine jungle-cocks - the origin of all our
domestic breeds of poultry - were among the birds that chiefly
attracted my attention during our stay at Labuan Tring.
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