20 A NATUBALIST IN CELEBES ch. ii 



may find the whole forest ahve with birds and insects and 

 the air filled with their songs and cries. 



The only birds I remember to have seen were the Horn- 

 bills (Buceros exaratus). These heavy awkward creatures, 

 aroused by our visit from their midday slumbers, shrieked 

 at us through their long yellow beaks and flapped about 

 from bough to bough in short clumsy flights. There were 

 a few pigeons also far away and almost out of sight in 

 the highest branches of the trees. 



Several of the large handsome baboons (the Cynopi- 

 thecus nigrescens) were to be seen. These baboons are 

 peculiar to the northern part of Celebes and some of the 

 neighbouring islands, where they are very common and 

 abundant. This region may be considered to be an out- 

 post of monkeyland, for no monkeys are found either east 

 or south of this district. 



After wandering through the forest for some hours, our 

 guides brought us together at the sea-shore, where we spent 

 a welcome hour of rest after our toilsome march up-hill and 

 down-dale in the stifling heat of the forest. The spot we 

 chose for our lunch was one of those beautifully clean white 

 tracts of sand so frequently met with on the shores of 

 coral islands and coasts with fringing reefs. The fine 

 white sand was composed of coral detritus, foraminiferous 

 shells and larger lumps of water-worn madrepores and 

 tubiporas, with a litter of mangrove fruits, catapang nut- 

 shells, husks of coco-nuts and other forest debris left by the 

 last spring tides. 



Whilst we were at lunch the tide was slowly ebbing, 

 and when the waters of the lagoon became sufficiently 

 shallow, numerous little sandpipers appeared to seek their 

 prey. 



These little birds afterwards proved good friends to me, 

 for whenever my supply of chickens ran short in Talisse I 



