( 103 ) 



ON A COLLECTION-^ OF BIRDS FROM THE TIMORLAUT 



ISLANDS. 



By ERNST HARTERT. 



THE absence of most of the birds from the Tcnimber or Timorlant Islands was 

 often felt when BIr. Rothschild and I were studying the various forms from 

 the Eastern Archipelago, and therefore it was suggested to Mr. Heinrich Kiihn that 

 he shonld visit these islands to collect birds and Icpidoptera. He accordingly spent 

 the end of the year 1900 and the first two months of 1901 on the islands, mostly 

 on the island of Larat, and collected four hundred birdskins and three nests with 

 eggs. The following notes from one of his letters may be of interest : — 



" The Teniml)er Islands are very thickly populated, and accordingly very much 

 of the soil is under culture. Especially Yamdena, the large central island, where 

 I travelled as far as Aroe, in the middle of the south side, is planted with cocoanut 

 palms until far into the interior, while the rest is mostly covered with plantations 

 of maize and red rice, and some places with indigo and cotton wool for home use. 

 The natives are of a very light chocolate-brown colour, and unfortunately very fond 

 of fighting. There are nearly always some petty wars between the various villages 

 and islands. The natives are rather unfriendly towards any strangers. In Yamdena 

 I was not able to go into the interior. The posthonder declined all responsibility. 

 I was, however, busy collecting insects on Yamdena whenever I landed, and was 

 always on the look-out for birds. Of the latter I found only two which I did not 

 get on Larat, i.e. a Kingfisher * in the swamps on the north side, and Mrs. Forbes' 

 Honey-eater {Myzomela annabellae), which I saw only there. I must have obtained 

 most of the birds occurring on the islands. On some of the outlying islands, 

 however, the white Pigeon {Mi/risticivora), and a black Pigeon with white 

 annulations are said to occur. Occasionally, as on the Key Islands, a Pelican 

 appears, probably as a straggler from Australia. I saw myself, but could not get 

 a shot at, the following species: The two usual .Sea-Eagles {Cuncuma leucogaster 

 and Paiu/ion kaliactus leucoceplwlm), Ilaliastur iiidus girrenera, a Swallow, a huge 

 black Heron, a white Heron, and Ardea sacra. Graucalus melanops, called ' burnng 

 barat ' by the natives, is also said to occur." 



It will be seen from the following list that Mr. Kiihn obtained nearly all the 

 birds which are peculiar to the Tenimber group. He only missed Strix sororcula, 

 Hhipidura hamadrijas, and Graucalus timorlaoensis. The alisence of the first is 

 a great i)ity ; the second, however, is fortnnately represented in the Tring Museum 

 by a skin obtained l)y Doherty during a few days' stay in 1897. With regard to the 

 last I think it must be a local form of G. In/poleucns. A scries of it wouhl lie 

 most desirable. 



Of nearly all the resident birds Mr. Kiihn sent good series, although, 

 unfortunately, the majority of the birds were in very worn plumage or moulting 



* Alcymte azurva tjamdcuac Kothsch. 



