IN JAVA, 



55 



fieance of our own scientilic term. The great g^roup of the 

 Laurels, which so vary in flower and foliage as to be separated 

 off into many genera by Iwtanists, are »11 t.lesignatetl by the one 

 name Ilm'u, but they ure differentiated by nu fewer than gixty- 

 threo ditierent speeifie terms, in every instance indicating 

 some prominent distinguishing ehuraetorlstie of flower, fruit or 

 timber; and on esamiuationj very tew indeed of them tnru out 

 not to belong to the Laurel family. Of oaks, Fasmng in their 

 tongue, they discriminate sixteen different species, eommencing 

 their list with the one they consider most typical, just as we tind 

 in our own catalogues of birds, among the Warblers for instance, 

 Cistieohi eistteoht representing the typical species, the iSonda- 

 nese say Pamimj betfdf or "true oak/' lor what they consiider 

 the oak of oaks. Among animals their system of classification 

 into ffenera is not carried m far: but all the more distinctive 

 gniups, especially thoi^e living in communities, and every 

 insect and bird, if in any way [leculiar or where it can be mis- 

 taken for another, have each their own hinonual appellation. 



I was disap[>ointed in timling that the forest aJjout Genteng 

 was nearly all second growth, with scarcely any of what I was 

 principally in search of for my herbarium—specimens of the 

 primal trees. Jiirds, however, were ujore ])lentifnl, and in the 

 avenuedike roads md paths, stretching for miles in the neigh- 

 Ixturhood, butterllies and other insects were very abundant, 

 but though interesting to me, and occiisionally new to the 

 ornithology or entomology of the Malayati region, most of 

 them were species ^vell known to science. Amid an expanse 

 of low scrub in front of my iloor, on which the buffaloes from 

 the neighbouring villages wandered more at their own will 

 than directed by their young herik, stood within gunshot of 

 my verandah talde several tall trees, from w hieli, freipu-nted as 

 they were at all lioui-s ttf tlie day by different kimls of birds, 1 

 was constantly aide to add with great ease to my colIecti<vn, 

 and to olwervo the habits of many species that it wo(dd have 

 been diflieult otherwise to see. 



I never tired of watching the friendly relation between the 

 Buffalo-Turds (Stuniopasfor ialla and S. mcJampterns) and 

 their l.>ovino hosts. They used to collect in impatient Hi>eks 

 alxmt the hour of the return of the herd to their feedins: 

 grounds from the wallowing holes, whither in the heat of th*^ 



