72 



A NATURALIST'S WANDEMINGS 



iiionniig were always resonant witli the rich deep notes of the 

 Tjiimg or Beo, as the Javanese Grackle (G-racuIa jav^nensis) is 

 named. They used to frequent a papaya-tree which grew just 

 outside my window, whose fruit they are extremely fond of, 

 whence they poured fortli their song in the intervals of feed- 

 ing. This bird, which is of a rich metal lie%lue-hhick plumage, 

 has the nape of the neck adorned with two deep orange lappets, 

 and is greatly priced as a pet by the natives, from its deep 

 and ventriloqiiistie voice, its wonderful apfitmle in learning to 

 speak and whistle, and for its comical ways. A very high price 

 is often given for a well-trained birtl, even by the natives. 

 The Grackle is somewhat difficult to rear at first, but when 

 once accustomed to coulineiueut it thrives well — I have seen 

 one which had been caged for nearly eighteen years — especially 

 if a bamboo cylinder lie placed in the cage for it to creep 

 into at night, as. when in freedom, it does into a hole in a tree. 



Piuk-headed duves (Piihpits jmrphr^reus) fed in flocks on the 

 figs ; and at 3000 feet I stumbled on a nestful of six fledg- 

 lings of Pomaiorhinus mofiiami.% which were being tended, I 

 was surprised to obsei-ve, by three parents; but I was unable to 

 satisfy myself positively whether the additional parent was 

 male or female ; my hoy^ however, who on most subjects was 

 well informed, said that " the female ' Patjingpayor ' has always 

 two husbands," 



No insect sooner attracts the observation of the new comer 

 than the destructive carpenter bees, X^looopa, which with 

 noisy ostentation are incessantly boring their wide tunnels 

 into the woodwork of every building. To sit watching their 

 entrance, and clay each up in a living tomb of its own 

 digging, was one of the most hilarious amusements of the 

 boys. Many other Rj>ecies of Jli/mmopfeiu attract atten- 

 tion by their curious persistence in building nind-eeUs from 

 every hanging thread, in locks and hollow tubes, and in every 

 unoccupied comer, stoi-king them with the caterpillars and 

 spiders which is all the store their parental feelings induce 

 them to lay up for the benefit of their progeny. ]n the forest 

 the resemblance of their domiciles to their surroundings makes 

 them less easy to discover; but the accompanying figure of 

 a nest of one of the Enmenidm (Zethus cijanopterm) shows 

 how artistic and ingenious some of these creatures are. 



