14 



A VISIT TO THE INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO, 



Although out on several occasions, I was never 

 fortimatG Dnougli to fall in with a live tiger. With wild 

 !iog we occasimmlly Imd good sport Witli my friend, 

 Dr* Oxlcj, who seldom raiases his bird, I had some good 

 snipe-shooting> hxii it requires a compamon acquainted 

 with tlio locality to obtain sjxirt* Deer are occasional 13^ met 

 with. The naturalist will find no end of amusement in tlje 

 jungle ; there arc varieties of the monkey ; the Pteromys 

 (flying squoTcl) is common ; but the most extraordinary 

 creaturc is the Pteropus, or flying foK, of which Dr. Oxlcy 

 writes, I may aild several species of the bat tribe, 

 amongst them, that most destructive one to all fruits, tho 

 flying fox or Pteropus : fortunately, however, they arc as 

 yet scarce, but at no distance from us they are nnmeroua 

 beyond count. I have seen a flock of them, whilst 

 anchored in tho straits of Malacca, so large, as to take 

 several hours in passing and tho editor of the "Journal 

 of the Indian Archipelago," states in a note, " A colony 

 ia at present located in a mangrove creek at the head of 

 the estuary of the J oh ore. In the day they may 1)0 seen 

 asleep hanging in millions from the branches of the 

 mangroves. At fiunsDt they begin to sfcir, and presently 

 they abscond into the air, and wing their wnj to the south- 

 ward in one vast intcrniptcd cloud. Thcj' pass the whole 

 night in the jungle and plantations devouring fniitj and 

 as soon as dawn begins to appear, they mount the air 

 again, and return to their roosting-placo at tlie head of 

 the estuary/' Dr. Oxloy ailds, Their llesh is eaten by 



