336 TERNATE. 



Some of the smaller trees growing on these ridges are 

 covered with the curious epiphytes, Myrmecodia ai-inata and 

 Hyd)iophyhim formicaiiin ; these are plants belonging to the 

 natural order Cinchonacect. Both plants are associated in their 

 growth with certain species of ants ; as soon as the young 

 plants develop a stem, the ants gnaw at its base, and the 

 irritation produced causes the stem to swell ; the ants continu- 

 ing to irritate and excavate the swelling, it assumes a globular 

 form, and may become larger than a man's head. 



The globular mass contains within a labyrinth of chambers 

 and passages, which are occupied by the ants as their nest. 

 The walls of these chambers, and the whole mass of the inflated 

 stem, retain their vitality and thrive, continuing to increase in 

 size with growth. From the surface of the rounded mass are 

 given off small twigs, bearing the leaves and flowers. 



It appears that this curious gall-like tumour on the stem has 

 become a normal condition of the plants, which cannot thrive 

 without the ants. In Alyrmecodia armata the globular mass is 

 covered with spine-like excrescences. The trees I referred to at 

 Amboina, had these curious spine-covered masses perched in 

 every fork, and with them also the smooth surfaced masses of 

 a species of Hydnophytum. 



Numerous dealers brought trays of the shells for which 

 Amboina is famous to the ship, but the prices asked are so high, 

 that it would probably pay to bring some of the shells back 

 again from Europe to Amboina for sale to passing visitors. 

 Cassowaries' eggs were also offered for sale, and large quantities 

 of Deers'-horns {Rusa moluccensis). 



The Deer are very abundant in Amboina. I accompanied a 

 party which went in pursuit of them. We had a letter to a 

 native head-man in one of the villages on the shores of the 

 inlet in which the harbour lies. The head-man treated us 

 hospitably, and collected about a dozen beaters. The Deer 

 were lying down in concealment on a plain of some extent 

 close to the shore, which was covered with tall grass in some 

 places up to our middles, and skirted by bushes. 



We saw a Stag and two Hinds make off out of range, as we 

 made our way along the edge of the tall grass. The men beat 

 the bushes at the edges of the grass, and at last drove a Hind 

 out of one clump to the guns, and it was shot. The numerous 

 tracks in the grass showed that plenty of deer must come there 

 to feed. 



Ternate Island, October 14th to 17tli, 1874.— The island of 

 Ternate is an active volcanic cone rising direct out of the sea 

 to a height, according to "Challenger" observations, of 5,600 

 feet. My small aneroid indicated the height as somewhat less, 



