224 Celebes. 



of the spot ; for, though nominal Mohammedans, the Macas- 

 sar people retain many pagan superstitions, and are but lax 

 in their religious observances. Pork, it is true, they hold in 

 abhorrence, but will not refuse wine when offered them, and 

 consume immense quantities of "sagueir," or palm-wine, 

 which is about as intoxicating as ordinary beer or cider. 

 When well made, it is a very refreshing drink, and we often 

 took a draught at some of the little sheds dignified by the 

 name of bazars, which are scattered about the country wher- 

 ever there is any traific. 



One day Mr. Mesman told me of a larger piece of forest 

 where he sometimes went to shoot d.eer, but he assured me 

 it was much further off, and that there were no birds. How- 

 ever, I resolved to explore it, and the next morning at five 

 o'clock we started, carrying our breakfast and some other 

 provisions with us, and intending to stay the night at a house 

 on the borders of the wood. To my surprise, two hours' 

 hard walking brought us to this house, where we obtained 

 permission to ^ass the night. We then walked on, Ali and 

 Baderoon with a gun each, Baso carrying our provisions and 

 my insect-box, while I took only my net and collecting-bot- 

 tle, and determined to devote myself wholly to the insects. 

 Scarcely had I entered the forest when I found some beau- 

 tiful little green and gold speckled weevils, allied to the ge- 

 nus Pachyrhynchus, a group which is almost confined to the 

 Philippine Islands, and is quite unknown in Borneo, Java, or 

 Malacca. The road was shady, and apparently much trod- 

 den by horses and cattle, and I quickly obtained some butter- 

 flies I had not before met with. Soon a couple of reports 

 were heard, and, coming up to my boys, I found they had 

 shot two specimens of one of the finest of known cuckoos 

 (Phoenicophaus callirhynchus). This bird derives its name 

 from its large bill being colored of a brilliant yellow, red, and 

 black, in about equal proportions. The tail is exceedingly 

 long, and of a fine metallic purple, ^hile the plumage of the 

 body is light coffee-brown. It is one of the characteristic 

 birds of the island of Celebes, to which it is confined. 



After sauntering along for a couple of hours we reached a 

 small river, so deep that horses could only cross it by swim- 

 ming, so we had to turn back ; but as we were getting hungry, 



