A Modification Exactly Opposite To
That Which Produced The Wingless Birds (The Apteryx, Cassowary,
And Dodo), Appears To Have Here Taken Place; And It Is Curious
That In Both Cases An Insular Habitat Should Have Been The Moving
Cause.
The explanation is probably the same as that applied by
Mr. Darwin to the case of the Madeira beetles, many of which are
wingless, while some of the winged ones have the wings better
developed than the same species on the continent.
It was
advantageous to these insects either never to fly at all, and
thus not run the risk of being blown out to sea, or to fly so
well as to he able either to return to land, or to migrate safely
to the continent. Pad flying was worse than not flying at all.
So, while in such islands as New Zealand and Mauritius far from
all land, it vas safer for a ground-feeding bird not to fly at
all, and the short-winged individuals continually surviving,
prepared the way for a wingless group of birds; in a vast
Archipelago thickly strewn with islands and islets it was
advantageous to be able occasionally to migrate, arid thus the
long and strong-winged varieties maintained their existence
longest, and ultimately supplanted all others, and spread the
race over the whole Archipelago.
Besides this pigeon, the only new bird I obtained during the trip
was a rare goat-sucker (Batrachostomus crinifrons), the only
species of the genus yet found in the Moluccas. Among my insects
the best were the rare Pieris arum, of a rich chrome yellow
colour, with a black border and remarkable white antenna - perhaps
the very finest butterfly of the genus; and a large black wasp-
like insect, with immense jaws like a stag-beetle, which has been
named Megachile Pluto by Mr. B. Smith. I collected about a
hundred species of beetles quite new to me, but mostly very
minute, and also many rare and handsome ones which I had already
found in Batchian. On the whole I was tolerably satisfied with my
seventeen days' excursion, which was a very agreeable one, and
enabled me to sea a good deal of the island. I had hired a roomy
boat, and brought with me a small table and my rattan chair.
These were great comforts, as, wherever there was a roof, I could
immediately instal myself, and work and eat at ease. When I could
not find accommodation on shore I slept in the boat, which was
always drawn up on the beach if we stayed for a few days at one
spot.
On my return to Batchian I packed up my collections, and prepared
for my return to Ternate. When I first came I had sent back my
boat by the pilot, with two or three other men who had been glad
of the opportunity. I now took advantage of a Government boat
which had just arrived with rice for the troops, and obtained
permission to return in her, and accordingly started on the 13th
of April, having resided only a week short of six months on the
island of Batchian.
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