Dr. Horsfield's Researches in Java, 5^5 



between the families of Todidce and Caprimulgidce among the 

 Fissirostral Insessores ; combining the broad-based bill of the 

 former with the wide gape of the latter family of Birds. 



Having shewn by these instances the importance of Dr. Horsfield's 

 early researches in Java, we have now the grateful duty of record- 

 ing the means by which their results have become available to 

 British naturalists, and by which also the subsequent discoveries 

 and facts made known by their author have been contributed to 

 the stores of British science. Mr. Raffles, shortly after the con- 

 quest of the island, became acquainted with Dr. Horsfield and his 

 pursuits : justly appreciating the utility of such exertions, in a 

 country the productions of which were nearly unknown to science, 

 he secured their results for the British nation, by obtaining for 

 this naturalist the liberal support and patronage of the East-India 

 Company. In pursuance of the arrangement which was entered 

 into^ part of Dr. Horsfield's collection of Mammalia^ including 

 specimens of the Sciurus Flantani, the Tupaia Javanicciy the 

 Mydaus meliceps^ &c., and a large collection of Birds, were trans- 

 mitted to the Court of Directors in 1812, together with a descrip- 

 tive catalogue in manuscript, in which the new species were par- 

 ticularly noted. Dr. Horsfield's plans of research were soon of 

 course considerably extended, and they were attended with com- 

 mensurate success. 



Mr. Raffles being now engaged in renovating the Batavian So- 

 ciety of Arts and Sciences, as already narrated, obtained from Dr. 

 Horsfield several interesting communications to its " Transac- 

 tions." The fabulous history of the Bohun Upas or Poison-tree 

 of Java, founded on a gross fabrication stated to have been written 

 by Foersch, a Dutch surgeon at Samarang, which was published 

 in 1783, is well-known to all who are conversant with the history 

 of science, as well as to all lovers of the marvellous. The appalling 

 effects attributed to the poison, its alleged employment in the cruel- 

 ties of a despotic government, and the emphatic strains in which 

 its fell powers have been pourtrayed by the genius of Darwin, who 

 describes, in his " Loves of the Plants," the spot where 



" Fierce in dread silence on the blasted heath 



Fell Ufas sits, the Hydra-tree of death," 



