THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



SUPPLEMENT TO VOL. XX. DECEMBER 1857. 



XLV. — On the Natural History of the Aru Islands. 

 By Alfred R. Wallace. 



In December 1856, I left Macassar in one of the trading prows 

 which make an annual voyage to these islands. On January 

 1st, 1857, we arrived at the Ke Islands. Here we remained six 

 days, while the natives, who are clever boat-builders, finished 

 two small vessels our captain purchased for the Aru trade. 

 During this time I made daily excursions in the forests, collect- 

 ing birds and insects; but the weather was showery, and the 

 coralline-limestone rocks, which everywhere jn'otrude through 

 the thin soil, are weather-worn into such sharp-edged, honey- 

 combed, irregular surfaces, as to make any distant excursions 

 almost impossible. The great Fruit Pigeon of the Moluccas 

 {Carpophaga anea) was abundant, its loud, hoarse cooings con- 

 stantly resounding through the forest. Crimson Lories of two or 

 three species were also plentiful, but were so wary that we could 

 not obtain any. All other birds were scarce, and I only obtained 

 thirteen species in all, many of which will, however, I think, 

 prove new, viz. : — 



Megapodius, sp., same species Tropidorhynchus, n. sp. ? 



at Aru. Cinmjris, n. sp. 



Carpophaga cenea. Zosterops citrinella, Miill. 



Ptilonopus, u. sp. Rhipidura, two species. 



Maa'opygia, sp., same at Aru. Muscicapidie alire, two species. 



Dicruj'us, sp. Psittacus {Geoffroyus?), sp. 



Among the birds offered for sale, Eclectus Linruei and Psitta- 

 codis magnus were the most abundant. Of iMammalia I saw none, 

 and could only learn that a wild pig and a species of discus in- 

 habited the island. The only reptiles I saw were lizards of two 

 or three kinds, one of w^hich, a very long and slender species, 

 with a finely-pointed tail of a most brilliant blue, swarmed every- 

 where on the low herbage, gliding among leaves and twigs in the 

 most rapid and elegant manner. Of insects I made a nice little 



A7in. &; Mag. N. Hist. Scr. 2. Vol. xx. Siippl. 3X 



