202 



NATURAL mSTORf [chap, xiv, 



CHAPTEE XIV. 



THE NATUEAL HISTOHY OP THE TBIOE GROUP. 



IF we look at a map of the Arcliipelago, nothing seems 

 more unlikely than that the closuly cotinected ciiiiio t<t 

 islands from Java to Timor should difier materially in their 

 natural productions. There are, it is true, certain difl'er- 

 enoes of climate and of physical geography, but these do 

 not correapond with the division the naturalist is obliged to 

 make. Between the two ends of the chain there is a great 

 contrast of climate, the west being exceedingly moist and 

 having only a short ami irregular dry season, tiie east being 

 as dry and parched up, and having but a short wet season. 

 This change, however, occurs about the middle of Java, the 

 eastern portion of that island having as strongly marked 

 seasons as Lombock and Timor. There is also a ditFerence 

 in physical geography; but this occlits at the eastern ter- 

 nihiation of the chain, where the volcanoes which are the 

 marked feature of Java, Bali, Lombock, Sumbawa, and 

 Fiores, tmrn northwards through Gmioug Api to Banda, 

 leaviug Timor with only one volcanic peak neai* its centre ; 

 while the main portion of the island consists of old sedi- 

 mentary rocks. Neither of these physical differences cor- 

 responds with the remarkable change in natural produc- 

 tions which occurs at the Sti-aits of Lombock, sepamting 

 the island of that name Imm J5ali ; and which is at once 

 so large in amount and of so fundamental a character, as 

 to form an impoitaut feature in the zoological geography 

 of onr globe. 



Tile Dutch naturalist ZoUinger, who resided a long time 

 in the island of Bali, informs us that its productions com- 

 pletely assimilate with those of Java, and that he is not 

 aware of a single animal found in it which does not in- 

 habit the larger island. During the few days which I 

 stayed on the north coast of Bali on my way to Lombock, 

 I saw several birds highly characteristic of Javan orni- 

 thology. Among these were the yellow-headed weaver 



