r 



JN TIMOR. 423 



of the vegetation about it, it was loaded, told how cool and 

 moist an atmosphere it was living in. 



Among the tall grass fields one of the commonest orchids 

 was the white sweet-scented Hahenaria sii2annx, remarkable 

 for the great length of its nectaries. Diurnal lepidoptera were 

 noticeably very fe\/ at Fatunaba ; but at night more moths 

 (belonging only to a few species) than at any other station 

 where "l had lived, crowded to my lamp. Among them the 

 most abundant were two moderate-sized Noctux, a new species 

 of Oplmdes and Memigia virbia, and a largish species of 

 Humming-bird moth {Protojmrce orientalis). I made it a 

 point daily to watch the fertilisation of these Habenarias. 

 They were invariably cross-fertilised during the night by a 

 moth which, as it always left a few of its hairs on the stigma, 

 I feel certain is the same as one and perhaps both of the 

 Nocfuw just mentioned, but the tongue of both species is 

 far too short ever to reach more than half-way down towards 

 the minute drop of sweetness concealed at the very tip 

 of the nectary. The large pollinia in many cases had been 

 carried only as far as one of the petals or to a neighbounug 



moth 



o 



rested there, and succeeded in freeing itself of them. _ 



Collecting was carried on till the end of February with all 

 the vigour possible, my herbarium especially rapidly increasing 

 in size ; but I had fully expected to have been by then iar m 

 the interior. The weather, however, had been very disastrous 

 for us, and we had had much difficulty with our servants 1 

 was a weary tramp up to Fatunaba from DiUy, and as a}l our 

 provisions had to be carried by our own men, theyvery 5001 

 tired of the exertion that this entailed, and of ^^^^^S ^^J^ 

 from the lanioa stores of the town. One ^^^ /he _(.oa men 

 was an inveterate toper, and had very soon to be discM'aea. 

 His place was taken by a younger brother, .Jo F^;;^^^f; ;^ 

 and willing servant; but he could not «taud he cold rugh ^^ 

 the mountains, so ken he left in ill-health follow ed soon 

 after by his brother dismissed for larceny their V^^'^yj' 

 filled by an Allor youth, who knew a little 3 Iala> G^ 

 was a servant faithful as a dog, strong and ^^iHmg to woik 

 but having not the slightest idea of European -'^y^'^f^ ^^ 

 had never seen, he afforded us much amusement, if not mucH 



