NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE. 



Vol. VIII. FEBRUARY, 1901. No. 1. 



ON THE BIRDS OF THE KEY AND SOUTH-EAST ISLANDS, 

 AND OF CERAM-LAUT. 



By ERNST HARTERT. 



INTRODUCTION. 



THE Key, Kei, K^, or Evar Islands are a well-known group of islands between 

 .5° 11' and 6° 6' sonthern latitude and 132° 38' and 133° 18' eastern longitude, 

 north-west of the Aru Island.s. The Key Islands may be regarded as the last 

 portion of the chain of smaller islands extending in a south-easterly direction 

 from Ceram. This chain of islands between Key and Ceram is here called the 

 " South-East Islands." This name has formerly been used for all the islands to the 

 south-east of Ceram, including the Key and Am Islands (see Rosenberg, Reis naar 

 Zuidoostereilanden, 1867) ; but it is now applied by the Dutch, to whom this 

 whole archipelago belongs, only to the islands between Ceram-laut (an outlying 

 island of Ceram) and the Key group, and this nomenclature is here adopted. (See 

 Kaart van Nederlamhch-Indii' , by H. Ph. Th. Witkamp, de Bnssy, Amsterdam.) 



We have received, during more than three years, numerous collections from all 

 these islands by onr correspondent Mr. Heinrich Kiihn, of Toeal, on Little Key. 

 Most of these collections are from Toeal, but also some of the outlying little islets were 

 repeatedly visited by Mr. Kiihn or his native collectors. From the large mountainous 

 island of Elat or Great Key we have also received some skins. It is thus certain 

 that the ornis of the Key group is now well represented in the Tring Museum ; and 

 no other museum- has a similarly complete material of bird-skins from the Key 

 group, although it must be admitted that Great Key is not yet by any means 

 completely explored. Great Key is high and mountainous, of geologically older 

 formation, covered with luxuriant forest ; while Little Key is coralline, more recent, 

 and low, though almost equally well wooded. Godan and Soa are two small islets 

 of the Little Key group — Soa to the north, Godan to the west of Toeal. 



The Tiandoe Islands are entirely cultivated. They are low and flat, covered 

 with cocoanut palms, and, where the ground for these is less suitable, with 

 plantations of maize or deserted fields, on which thin scrub has grown up. Taam, 

 the largest island of this group, is not better for collecting than the rest. Walking 

 on these islands was found very trying, as they consist of elevated, sharp and 

 rugged coral-reef. The western portion of Koer and Taam is so uneven that it is 

 almost impossible to get along there, high peri)endicular stone walls barring the 

 way in numerous places. The natives, who are apparently well acquainted with 

 their birds, told Mr. Kiihn that he obtained all the birds which inhabited these 

 islands, with the exception of the common Chalcojthaps. To the west of the 

 Tiandoe Islands are the " Tliree Brothers," one of which, Manggoer or SSangni, was 

 visited by Mr. Kiihn. 



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