CHAP. of tee MOLUCCAS. S97 



and lory as its only known birds, and both arc of pet uIult 

 species. 



The Moluccas are especially rich in the paiTot tiibe, no 

 less than twenty-two species, belonging to ten genera, 

 inhabiting them. Among these is the large red-ci*ested 

 cockatoo, so commonly seen olive in Europe, two handsome 

 red parrots of the genus Eclectus, and five of the beantiful 

 crimson lories, which are almost exclusively conJined to 

 these islands and the New Guinea group. The pigeons 

 are hardly less abundant or beautiful, twenty-one species 

 being known, inchidiii*' twelve of the beautiful green fruit 

 pigeons, the smaller hinds of which are ornamented with 

 the most brilliant patches of colour on the head and the 

 under-surface. Kext to these come the kiiigiishers, in- 

 cluding sixteen species, almost all of which are beautiful, 

 and many are among the most brilliautly-coloured birds 

 that exist. 



One of the most cnrions groups of birds, the Megapodit, 

 or moiuid-makcrs, is very abundant in the Moluccas. 

 They are gallinaceous birds, about tlie siae of a small fowl, 

 and generally of a dark ashy or sooty colour, and they 

 have remarkably large and strong feet and long claws. 

 They are allied to the "Maleo" of Celebe.^, of which an 

 account has already been given, but they differ in habits, 

 most of these birds frequenting the scrubby jungles along 

 the sea- shore, where the soil is sandy, and there is a con- 

 siderable quantity of dih'u, consisting of sticks, shells, 

 seaweed, leaves, &c. Of this rubbish the Megapodius 

 fonos immense mounds, often six or eight feet high and 

 twenty or thirty feet in diameter, which they are enabled 

 to do with comparative ease by means of their large feet, 

 with which they can grasp and throw l>ack\^'ards a quantity 

 of material. In the centre of this mound, at a di'pth of 

 two or three feet, the eggs are deposited, and are Jiatched 

 by tlie gentle heat produced by tlie fennentation of the 

 vegetable matter of the mound. When I first saw these 

 mounds in the island of LomlxHik, I could hardly believe 

 that thfv were made by such small birds, but I afterwards 

 met with them frequently, and have once or twice come 

 upon the birds engaged m making them. They run a 

 few steps backw^ards, grasping a quantity of loose material 



