316 | THE ZOOLOGIST. 
sheep feed on the Portulaca oleracea, on a kind of grass, and on 
the tubers of an aroid which they scrape up, and seem none the 
worse for the maritime conditions under which they are forced 
to live. Rats are a perfect nuisance. Occasionally Flying- 
foxes (Pteropus) reach the atoll, but generally in too exhausted 
a state to survive. 
Bird-life in the Keeling Islands is described as ‘ limited, but: 
very interesting.” The Noddy Tern, Anous stolidus, and the 
Gannet, Sula piscatriz, were seen in thousands, and the author 
had many opportunities of noting how their industrious habits 
are taken advantage of by the Frigate-bird, Tachypetes minor, 
much in the same way as we see our British Gulls pursued 
by Skuas. 
The Philippine Rail, Rallus philippensis, which is resident in 
the Keelings, becomes quite domesticated, and is employed 
by the colonists to hatch out their chickens, which it does 
with care. 
While travelling in Java, one of the author’s most interesting 
discoveries was a Spider, Ornithoscatoides decipiens, Cambridge, 
remarkable for its exact resemblance to the droppings of a bird, 
a resemblance which is increased by its spinning a thin white 
web on the surface of a leaf, by means of which it secures itself 
on its back to the leaf, leaving its legs free to enclose and seize 
any insect unwittingly resting upon or crossing the apparently 
harmless bird-dropping. This very curious spider was after- 
wards met with again in Sumatra. 
In the forests on the southern slopes of the Malawar and the 
Wayang, the Banteng, Bos banteng, lives in considerable herds, 
but is very difficult to approach and dangerous when wounded. 
The baying of Wild Dogs often reached the traveller's ear, but 
they were so exceedingly shy and wary that he only succeeded in 
shooting one indifferent specimen. These Wild Dogs, it appeared, 
live chiefly on the Kantjil and Muntjac deer. Civet Cats were 
found to be abundant in Java, and the nocturnal Scaly Anteater, 
or Pangolin, was captured in the evening while clumsily climbing 
trees, licking up with amazing rapidity streams of ants, which 
form its sole food. 
Amongst other interesting birds collected in the province of 
Bantam were a Flycatcher, Siphia banjumas, of a beautiful azure 
blue; a sea-green Magpie, Cissa thalassina, with brown wings, 
havea 2» 
