285 
of Ceram and Waigiou. 
these genera found in all the great island of Ceram), and the 
Buceros ruficollis and Tropidorhynchus suhcornutus. One may 
search for days, and literally see nothing else but these, with the 
Carpophaga perspicillata and C. luctuosa (?). Flycatchers, Edolii, 
Thrushes, Kingfishers, Warblers, Finches, are so scarce as to 
seem altogether absent. The few species that do occur are 
only seen singly, and at rare intervals. 
On my return from Goram I spent ten days on the N.E. coast, 
but found nothing. I afterwards met with a gentleman, in the 
employ of the Dutch government, who is an amateur in orni¬ 
thology, and has resided in Ceram more than a year, visiting the 
interior and the N. coast, with one or two hunters always engaged; 
but he seems to have met with scarcely anything more than 
myself. Pitta seems altogether absent; of Psittaci there is but 
one not found also in Amboyna, the Platycercus amboinensis ; of 
Ptilonopodes, the two Amboyna species only, P. viridis and P . 
superbus. Leaving out Psittaci , I have only found 24 Passeres in 
Ceram, after a more extensive and laborious exploration than I 
have given to any other island. 
The poverty in species and individuals of land birds exceeds 
anything I have hitherto met with, and seems very unaccount¬ 
able. I think it must be partly due to the very little cultivation 
in the island, the population subsisting almost wholly upon 
sago. 
W T here there are and have long been extensive clearings of 
the forest, a different kind of vegetation is found, more fruit¬ 
bearing trees and shrubs occur together, and insects are more 
plentiful. In such localities, if virgin forest is close at hand, 
birds are almost always more abundant. I believe, however, 
that though my collection of the birds of Ceram is no doubt 
very incomplete, the poverty it displays is real , and will not be 
materially affected by future discoveries; and its cause is, I 
think, to be traced to the general character and origin of the 
whole Moluccan fauna (contrary to what has generally been 
supposed, a remarkably poor one), and to the peculiar geogra¬ 
phical and geological antecedents of the island of Ceram. At 
some future time I hope more fully to enter into this subject. 
My intention was to have continued my voyage as far as Ke, 
