336 A NATURALIST'S WANDEniNGS 



-while the Tenlmber natives poured on water which they carried 

 in gourds and bamboos from the sea close by. With what 

 breathless anxiety I watched the effect of each gust of wind, 

 for the thatch of our house— in which were stored several tins 



r 



of petroleum and of spirits of wine, and a quantity of gun- 

 powder — was already scorched. Had it caught, nothing could 

 have saved the whole village, nor us from the vengeance of the 

 people. At last the flames were got under, and I had time to 

 realise that the few charred and sodden bundles before me was 

 all that remained of more than 500 of the first gathered 

 specimens of the flora of Tenimber collected at such risk and 

 pains. I could not bear to stand on the shore, as usual, to 

 welcome the home-coming boat, but long ere it touched, the 

 ruined drying-house had told them the disheartening news of 

 the disaster that had happened." 



If we except birds, animal life I found to be but poorly 

 represented. Besides a Cusciis, a genus of Marsupials common 

 to the Moluccas and new Guinea, and doubtfully a wild pig, 

 I saw no indigenous mammalian animals — with one reserva- 

 tion. On the mainland w^e found larsre herds of bul!idoes 

 living in a w^ild state, being indigenous as far as native 

 tradition could enlighten us, for they believe that they came 

 up out of the earth- When, and by what means they arrived 

 is unknown ; but there can be little doubt that they liave 

 been brought by the accident of shipwreck, or by design. 

 They must feed on the Commehjna, and on the leaves of low 

 shrubs, for there is no grass to be found ; and they must often, 

 I feel sure, be pressed for water to drink in the dry season. 



No kangaroos wore seen or heard of in any of the islands, 

 but a small species of mouse-like mammal, of which I was 

 unable to catch a specimen, may be a Perameles or jumping- 

 mouse. Of Rodents the common rat was — too abundant. No 

 species of Sciuridse were observed. Of Cheiroptera there were 

 several small species, besides a common Pterojptts or '' Yly in 

 Fox." There are no deer. One species of Sirenian, probably 



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 a 



shor 



the natives for its ivories from which they make earrings. 

 One frog was collected, while snakes and lizards were found 

 in considerable numbers, one of each being a species new to 

 science. While, out of sixty species of birds, I brought no 



