340 ZOOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY. [part hi. 



developed for display (as shown in our figure) that they 

 become almost, if not quite, useless for their original purpose of 

 flight ; yet the colours are so sober, harmonizing completely 

 with the surrounding vegetation, and the bird is so wary, that 

 in the forests where it abounds an old hunter assured me he had 

 never been able to see a specimen till it was caught in his 

 snares. It is interesting to note, that during the display of the 

 plumage the bird's head is concealed by the wings from a 

 spectator in front, and, contrary to what usually obtains among 

 pheasants, the head is entirely unadorned, having neither crest 

 nor a particle of vivid colour, — a remarkable confirmation of 

 Mr. Darwin's views, that gayly coloured plumes are developed 

 in the male bird for the purpose of attractive display in 

 the breeding season. The long-tailed bird on the right is 

 one of the Drongo-shrikes (Bhringa remifcr), whose long bare 

 tail-feathers, with an oar-like web at the end, and blue- 

 black glossy plumage, render it a very attractive object as it 

 flies after its insect prey. On the left is another singular bird 

 the great Broad-bill (Corydon sumatranus), with dull and sombre 

 plumage, but with a beak more like that of a boat-bill than of a 

 fruit-eating passerine bird. Over all, the white-handed Gibbon 

 (Hylobatcs lar) swings and gambols among the topmost branches 

 of the forest. 



Reptiles and Amphibia. — These are not sufficiently known to 

 be of much use for our present purpose. Most of the genera 

 belong to the continental parts of the Oriental region, or have a 

 wide range. Of snakes Rhdbdosoma., Typhlocalamus, Tctragono- 

 sovia, Acrochordus, and Atropos, are the most peculiar, and there 

 are several peculiar genera of Homalopsidre. Of Oriental genera, 

 Cyiindrophis, Xenopeltcs, Calamaria, Hypsirhina, Psammody- 

 nastes, Gonyosoma, Tragops, Dipsas, Pareas, Python, Bungarus } 

 Naja, and Callophis are abundant; as well as Simotcs, Ablabes. 

 Tropidonotus, and Dendrophis, which are widely distributed. 

 Among lizards Hydrosaurus and Gecko are common; there are 

 many isolated groups of Scincidse; while Draco, Calotes, and 

 many forms of AgamidaB, some of which are peculiar, abound. 



Among the Amphibia, toads and frogs of the genera Micrhyla, 



