244 THE MOLUCCAS. [chap. 



southerly monsoon. Excellent water is obtainable, and we took 

 advantage of it to fill up our tanks before our departure. The 

 birds and insects collected had not been numerous, but we were 

 more than satisfied with them, as among the former were several 

 specimens of the Bird of Paradise discovered here in 1858 by Mr. 

 Wallace — Semioptera wallacei, Wallace's Standard-wing — the only 

 one of the Paradiseidse found out of New Guinea and the true 

 Papuan Islands, This bird is singularly unlike most of its family 

 both in form and colouring. It is of a more or less uniform caf4- 

 au-lait brown, fading on the wings into a delicate creamy buft". 

 On the throat and breast is a shield of metallic feathers of emerald 

 green colour, and of remarkable brilliancy, terminating on either 

 side in a sharply-pointed tuft. But the leading feature of the bird 

 — the striking peculiarity from which it takes its generic name — 

 consists in two long oar-like feathers of creamy wliite springing 

 from each shoulder, which, by means of a small muscle attached 

 to the papilla of the feather-case, can be erected or depressed at 

 will. 



We obtained sixteen specimens of this curious and beautiful 

 bird, which seemed to be fairly abundant in the neighbourhood 

 of the village. The natives told us, however, that it was very 

 local, frequenting certain parts of the forest only, as is the case 

 with some others of the Paradiseidse. It is also found in Gilolo, 

 and, although our search for it proved unsuccessfid, I cannot help 

 thinking that a further exploration of Obi Major, which by its 

 geological and other characteristics seems to be closely allied to 

 Batchian, would add either this species or one nearly resembling it 

 to its avifauna. 



The common Malayan deer was numerous in the forest and 

 plantations at this part of the island. It furnishes a permanent 

 livelihood to a tribe of Gilolo Alfuros, who have been settled in 

 Batchian for many generations. Living for the most part in the hills, 

 they kill and smoke the deer, and bring the meat into the villages 

 for sale. We were fortunate enough to witness and assist at one 



