( 175 ) 



Very slight diflferences are liy Dr. Fiiiscli not considered sufficient for '"specific" 

 separation, while for me no differences an' too slight for " subspecific " separation, 

 if connected with geographical separation. My subsjiecies (geogra]ihical rejiresenta- 

 tives) are either disregarded by my oi)iionents or treated as sj)ecies. This difference 

 is not one between Dr. Finsch and myself, but that between two schools of 

 ornithologists, of which much has been said and more will be said in another place. 

 But apart fmm my different mode of studying closely allied forms, the larger 

 series collected by Mr. Kiihn have sometimes given me the advantage over 

 Dr. Finsch, who often had a few specimens only. Frecpiently where he had one or 

 two I had before me six, eight or more, and where he had four, five or six, I had 

 twenty-nine, thirty or forty sjiecimens or more, and from several more islands. 

 From Wetter Kiihn sent 84 species (an increase of 26 to those known), from Letti 

 57 (an increase of 36), from Roma 6n (none known before), Bloa SS (none known 

 before), and also from Kisser many more than formerly were registered. 



Wetter (Weeter or Weeta) is the largest of the islands visited. It is not 

 much naore than forty kilometres north of E. Timor. Its fauna is mostly Timorese, 

 Init there are some very striking peculiar forms, such as Alopecoenas koedti, 

 Sjj/u'cot/irres //'//loleuciis, Sfit/mafops iiottihilis, Mi/zomela kmhni, and some very 

 strongly marked subspecies. Wetter is ajiparently of very old volcanic origin, 

 with high and piirtly bare monntains. A great portion of the island is covered with 

 tamarind-trees, mixed with a tall tree with smooth white stems and ver\' small leaves ; 

 mider the trees grow grass and many thorny creepers. Kiihn says that he never 

 saw a country with so many thorny creepers, trees and bushes. They were a great 

 trouble. The rare Cliaraxes was always found among the thickest thorn bushes, 

 and it wa? almost impossible to catch them on account of the thorns, which stopped 

 jirogress of man and net. The steep hills resemble heaped-up masses of dihris, 

 and are mostly but thinly covered with green, though in the valleys and on the 

 more sheltered slopes grow many kinds of lemons, sweet citrons and mandarines. 

 In Ajiril should have been the rainy season, but rain fell only a few times, so that 

 there was great drought. In addition to this affliction, locusts were devastating the 

 plantations and smallpox was decimating the natives. On Kisser the latter disease 

 killed 120(1 of 86UII inhabitants. Wax and honey from the numerous wild bees, 

 sandalwood, lemons, goats and buffalo-horns are exported. Mr. Kiihn was very 

 unlucky on Wetter. The drought caused scarcity of food and the dust was most 

 disagreeable. The northern side of the island could not possibly be visited, on 

 account of the hostility of the head-hunters, who ari.- very strong and indomitable 

 and were not attacked by the smallpox. The first collection, made in April 1961, 

 of 516 skins and 606 lepidoptera, was entirely lost in shipwreck, but the result 

 of the second stay in September and October 1902 was similar as regards birds, 

 though lepidoptera were theu very scarce. Fever attacked Mr. Kiihn and all his 

 men very severely, and one of the latter died afterwards. Besides the species 

 sent, Mr. Kiihn saw, but failed to obtain : (1) a kind of swallow ; (2) llfilinxtur 

 indus iiitermedius ; (13) a Cuculus {^ intenmdius) \ (4) a gull ; (5) a Monarcha 

 {J iitoriudus) ; (6) the Strix from Kisser ; (7) the Mnnia from Kisser ; (8) a kind of 

 Dkaeum {^) \ (9) a large white heron ; (10) Sci/fhrops iiovachollandiac \ (11) a 

 grey heron ; (12) a light grey heron with black edges to the wings. According to 

 native reports a small parrot, fh/pochnrmo.'^i/iia or Nasiterna (? !) occurs, but this 

 seems very doubtful. 



Roma (Itomah or Teralta) lies about 27 miles E. of Wetter, 21 miles N.N.E. 



