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.
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