ZOOLOGICAL NOTES ON COLLECTING IN BORNEO. 365 



sylvia, which appeared to be abundant most of the way up the 

 river. 



May 10th. — Started early in the morning, the next tide again 

 helping us on up the river for some four hours to the Malay 

 village of Tanah Putih. From this point our progress was con- 

 siderably slower, paddling against the stream for another five 

 hours, and eventually arriving at Ampungan, where we passed 

 the night in a comfortable Malay house. Another day's 

 paddling brought us to the large village of Tabekang, which is 

 picturesquely spread along both banks amid close plantations of 

 cocoanut and pinang palms. The Land-Dayak village and 

 some half-dozen Chinese shops occupy the left bank, while the 

 Malay houses are built on the right ; a spacious Government 

 rest-house stands on a high bank at a bend above the village. 



The river journey thus far offers little of zoological interest. 

 A Bronze-winged Dove (Chalcophaps indica) was shot crossing 

 the river; the common Atlas Moth {Attacas atlas) was seen with 

 wings outspread on a shrub by the water's edge, but the combi- 

 nation of a collapsible net and a Malay boatman saved its life. 



Our course had been in a general southerly direction. From 

 this point a belt of country, extending to the border of Dutch 

 Borneo some ten miles further south, stretches west to the head 

 of the Sarawak river; this is thickly populated with Land- 

 Dayaks — an interesting race who have kept much to themselves, 

 living a quiet, sedentary life. Up till some seventy-five years 

 ago they formed the natural prey of grasping Malay rulers and 

 wandering Sea-Dayak head-hunters. One of the principal 

 objects of Sir James Brooke, the first Kajah of Sarawak, was 

 the protection of these Land-Dayaks. He was made Bajah in 

 1842, and from that time on peace reigned in this portion of 

 Sarawak, though other parts further to the north-east took 

 many years to pacify. From an ethnologist's point of view, the 

 Land-Dayaks are of much interest. Alone of all the Sarawak 

 tribes they preserve customs which indicate a former Hindu 

 influence, and this, no doubt, is due to their Javanese origin. 

 Even to-day the up-river chiefs preserve traditions of their 

 journey from Java to South Borneo, and thence through the 

 island to their present position. Talking about this one day, a 

 Land-Dayak told me that a Javanese stayed in his village and 



