408 Capt. P. J. Begbie on the Natural History 



one foot when it sleeps ; the Psittacus purpuratus, or purple- 

 tailed parrot; and the Psittacus erythrocephalus, or blossom- 

 headed parroquet. 



The Rupicola viridis of Temm., or the Calyptomena of Raffles, 

 is distinguished by the vivid and glossy green of its plumage, 

 heightened as it is by the contrast of three broad black bands. 

 The Trogon fasciatus, or fasciated curucui ; the Paradisea regia, 

 or king bird of paradise* ; the Nectarinia javanica, or Javan 

 humming-bird; and a very minute species, which I shall distin- 

 guish by the name of Nectarinia ignita, or fire-backed humming- 

 bird. This beautiful little thing is only two inches long ; cheeks 

 black; chin and beneath white; crest, back and tail-coverts bright 

 red; wings and tail black; lesser wing- coverts with a purplish 

 gloss f. The Oriolus galhula, or golden oriole ; the Trogon sul- 

 phureuSj or sulphur curucui, differs only from the Trogon sul- 

 phureus of Spix in having the back glossy copper-coloured instead 

 of glossy green J ; the Lamprotornis gularis of Temm.j ov Paradisea 

 gularis of Lath., or golden-throated bird of paradise ; the Hirundo 

 panayana, or Panayan swallow ; these, and several other species 

 of the feathered creation, flash their splendid plumage in the sun, 

 or make the deeply shaded woods re-echo with their song. 



Of Chelonian reptiles, those found in the peninsula are the 

 Cistuda amboinensis, or Amboina freshwater turtle ; the Chelonia 

 mydas, or green turtle, which is very abundant and esteemed a 

 great delicacy ; and the Chelonia imbricata, or hawk^s-bill turtle, 

 which is not so common. 



Of the Saurian order, there is the Alligator sclerops of Cuvier; 

 the Alligator lacerta of Linn., or the common alligator, which 

 infests the rivers and sea-shores in great numbers, and may be 

 seen occasionally swimming up and down the Straits at the di- 

 stance of half a mile or more from the shore ; the Monitor elegans, 

 or elegant monitor lizard ; the Lacerta viridis, or green lizard ; 

 the Draco lineatus (D. volans, Linn.), or flying dragon ; the Gecko 

 guttatus, or spotted gecko ; and the Gecko tuberculatus, or the 

 tokay, so called from the sound which it emits, and which must 

 be famiUar to the ears of every one who has sojourned in the 

 Burman empire. 



Of snakes, the following may be enumerated : — the Coluber 

 lebetinus, which is exceedingly poisonous, and causes death by 

 inducing an unconquerable sleep ; the Platurus laticaudatus of 

 Cuvier, or Hydrus colubrinus, a poisonous water-snake which is 

 met with in the seas ; these are the only poisonous ones which 



* This is probably an error, the Paradisea regia being a native of New 

 Guinea.— H. E. S. 

 f This seems to be Dicceum cruentatum, — H. E. S. 

 X Probably Harpacics Reinwardti, Temm. — H. E. S. 



