1901 | BRIEFER ARTICLES 219 
so quick in their movements that it was many minutes before our boy 
succceded in capturing one with his hands. Although I did not observe 
any of these animals actually perched in the branches of the mangrove, 
I do not doubt the statement that they often climb low bushes near 
the strand, using their short ventral fins for feet. 
Boela, the possible future oil city of the Orient, was decidedly in 
embryo. A few huts, made of the midribs of the sago palm and 
thatched with the matted leaflets of the same plant, were clustered 
about the landing shed and surrounded by young plantings of manihot, 
bananas, and a few papaya trees. At the end of the little village was a 
more or less comfortable bungalow in which lived an American 
mechanic from Pittsburg who had charge of the oil drilling machinery. 
Three of the most curious dogs I have ever seen greeted us as we 
walked up the path to the bungalow. They were crosses between the 
hairless Mexican dog and the “kampong” or native cur. These dogs 
were quite hairless except the tip of the tail, which was furnished with 
a brush of bright reddish-yellow hair, and the top of the head, which 
bristled with a stiff mop of the same color. The only cat of the place 
was one of the short-tailed breed which is common in this region. 
As we strolled into the forest along a newly-made corduroy road, 
gorgeous butterflies flitted quickly or soared lazily across our path in 
such numbers that we were reminded of some of Alfred Russell Wallace’s 
descriptions of his best collecting experiences in Malacca. Only 
twice before had we seen such quantities of these tropical insects, once 
on a small island in the gulf of Siam, and the last time on one of the 
pathways near Petropolis, Brazil. The newly fallen trees were swarm- 
ing with insects and covered with fungi, and the log road was bright 
with red and yellow mushrooms of many different species. Every 
time we halted to examine a rotten stump or scratch away a few fallen 
leaves, swarms of black mosquitoes attacked us, and worried us with 
the suspicion that they were injecting malarial plasmodia into our 
lood. 
The new oil well, which was soon reached, was surrounded by little 
pools of the dark brown liquid, and many tall forest trees about were 
killed by the crude oil which had flowed from the well before it was 
closed. The bubbling oil and gas was sputtering and hissing under 
the cap which had been screwed down to keepit in. Although inhab- 
itants of Amboina who were interested in these wells expressed great 
hope of their success, as yet no large quantities of oil had been 
