350 Mr. A. R. Wallace on the Ornithology of Timor. 
but the beautiful T. hcematodus seems rare, as I never saw a 
specimen, and with difficulty obtained two live ones in the town. 
I observed it in the island of Semao two years ago, but could 
not obtain an example. There are said to be one or two more 
Psittaci in the island, but I could see nothing of them. I ob¬ 
tained 3 Ducks, 5 or 6 Herons and Egrets, and a fine Himantopus 
(perhaps the H. leucocephalus of Australia), and that is all worth 
mentioning. I was much disappointed in not finding the beau¬ 
tiful Pitta irena , but presume it inhabits the interior only. 
I have long been of opinion that there is no foundation what¬ 
ever for the very prevalent idea that tropical heat and light have 
some direct or specific effect in producing the brilliant colours 
that adorn birds, or insects, or .flowers. Here, in Timor, the birds 
are remarkably dull in colour; and I think a fair average com¬ 
parison will show that even chilly England possesses more beauty 
among the common birds that give the character to the ornitho¬ 
logy of the country than this tropical island. Out of the 100 
species of birds I have collected here at Delli, I only find four 
that are at all brilliant in colour—viz. Cinnyris Solaris , Chaleo - 
phaps, sp., Estrelda, sp., and Ianthcenas metallica ; and I think 
I am correct in saying, that in any part of England we could 
find in the same time a larger number of species more or less 
adorned with brilliant colours, and at least as many which might 
be called pretty or ornamental. 
That the larger number by far of brilliant birds do exist in 
the tropics cannot be disputed; but that climatal or solar influ¬ 
ence has anything to do with the fact there is not the slightest 
evidence, while there is much that contradicts the supposition. 
And first, why does this supposed influence never act on those 
families and genera which are equally abundant in the temperate 
and tropical regions ? Why are not tropical Ducks and Accipi- 
tres, Larks, Crows, Warblers, Goat-suckers, and Finches, much 
more brilliant on the average than those of temperate and north¬ 
ern regions ? Again, when stragglers from purely tropical families 
occur in the north and south,why are they not the dullest-coloured 
of their group ? Instead of being so, they are fully up to the 
average of beauty. Our Kingfisher, Roller, and Bee-eater, the 
northern and southern Humming-birds, the Psittaci of Tempe- 
