1G2 LOMBOCK. 



pasture-grounds. They are large and handsome animals, of a 

 light-brown color, with white legs, and a conspicuous oval 

 patch behind of the same color. Wild cattle of the same race 

 are said to be still found in the mountains. In so well-culti- 

 vated a country it was not to be expected that 1 could do 

 much in natural history, and my ignorance of how important 

 a locality this was for the elucidation of the geographical dis- 

 tribution of animals caused me to neglect obtaining some 

 specimens which I never met with again. One of these was 

 a weaver-bird with a bright yellow head, which built its bot- 

 tle-shaped nests by dozens on some trees near the beach. It 

 was the Ploceus hypoxantha, a native of Java, and here at the 

 extreme limits of its range westerly. I shot and preserved 

 specimens of a wagtail-thrush, an oriole, and some starlings, 

 all species found in Java, and some of them peculiar to that 

 island. I also obtained some beautiful butterflies, richly mark- 

 ed with black and orange on a white ground, and which were 

 the most abundant insects in the country lanes. Among these 

 was a new species, which I have named Pieris taraar. 



Leaving Bileling, a pleasant sail of two days brought us to 

 Ampanara, in the island of Lombock, where I proposed to re- 

 main till I could obtain a j^assage to Macassar. We enjoyed 

 superb views of the twin volcanoes of Bali and Lombock, 

 each about eight thousand feet high, which form magnificent 

 objects at sunrise and sunset, when they rise out of the mists 

 and clouds that surround their bases, glowing with the rich 

 and changing tints of these the most charming moments in a 

 tropical day. 



The bay or roadstead of Ampanam is extensive, and being 

 at this season sheltered from the prevalent south-easterly 

 winds, was as smooth as a lake. The beach of black volcanic 

 sand is very steep, and there is at all times a heavy surf upon 

 it, which during spring-tides increases to such an extent that 

 it is often impossible for boats to land, and many serious ac- 

 cidents have occurred. Where we lay anchored, about a 

 quarter of a mile from the shore, not the slightest swell was 

 perceptible, but, on approaching nearer, undulations began, 

 which rapidly increased, so as to form rollers which toppled 

 over on to the beach at regular intervals with a noise like 

 thunder. Sometimes this surf increases suddenly during per- 



