登陆注册
5370200000124

第124章

I did not get a great many birds here. The most remarkable were the fine crimson lory, Eos rubra--a brush-tongued parroquet of a vivid crimson colour, which was very abundant. Large flocks of them came about the plantation, and formed a magnificent object when they settled down upon some flowering tree, on the nectar of which lories feed. I also obtained one or two specimens of the fine racquet-tailed kingfisher of Amboyna, Tanysiptera nais, one of the most singular and beautiful of that beautiful family.

These birds differ from all other kingfishers (which have usually short tails) by having the two middle tail-feathers immensely lengthened and very narrowly webbed, but terminated by a spoon-shaped enlargement, as in the motmots and some of the humming-birds. They belong to that division of the family termed king-hunters, living chiefly on insects and small land-molluscs, which they dart down upon and pick up from the ground, just as a kingfisher picks a fish out of the water. They are confined to a very limited area, comprising the Moluccas, New Guinea and Northern Australia. About ten species of these birds are now known, all much resembling each other, but yet sufficiently distinguishable in every locality. The Amboynese species, of which a very accurate representation is here given, is one of the largest and handsomest. It is full seventeen inches long to the tips of the tail-feathers; the bill is coral red, the under-surface pure white, the back and wings deep purple, while the shoulders, head and nape, and some spots on the upper part of the back and wings, are pure azure blue; the tail is white, with the feathers narrowly blue-edged, but the narrow part of the long feathers is rich blue. This was an entirely new species, and has been well named after an ocean goddess, by Mr. R. G. Gray.

On Christmas eve I returned to Amboyna, where I stayed about ten days with my kind friend Dr. Mohnike. Considering that I had been away only twenty days, and that on five or six of those I was prevented doing any thing by wet weather and slight attacks of fever, I had made a very nice collection of insects, comprising a much larger proportion of large and brilliant species than I had ever before obtained in so short a time. Of the beautiful metallic Buprestidae I had about a dozen handsome species, yet in the doctor's collection I observed four or five more very fine ones, so that Amboyna is unusually rich in this elegant group.

During my stay here I had a good opportunity of seeing how Europeans live in the Dutch colonies, and where they have adopted customs far more in accordance with the climate than we have done in our tropical possessions. Almost all business is transacted in the morning between the hours of seven and twelve, the afternoon being given up to repose, and the evening to visiting. When in the house during the heat of the day, and even at dinner, they use a loose cotton dress, only putting on a suit of thin European-made clothes for out of doors and evening wear. They often walk about after sunset bareheaded, reserving the black hat for visits of ceremony. Life is thus made far more agreeable, and the fatigue and discomfort incident to the climate greatly diminished. Christmas day is not made much of, but on New Year's day official and complimentary visits are paid, and about sunset we went to the Governor's, where a large party of ladies and gentlemen were assembled. Tea and coffee were handed around, as is almost universal during a visit, as well as cigars, for on no occasion is smoking prohibited in Dutch colonies, cigars being generally lighted before the cloth is withdrawn at dinner, even though half the company are ladies. I here saw for the first time the rare black lory from New Guinea, Chalcopsitta atra. The plumage is rather glossy, and slightly tinged with yellowish and purple, the bill and feet being entirely black.

同类推荐
  • 澎湖厅志

    澎湖厅志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 对山余墨

    对山余墨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 楹联丛话全编

    楹联丛话全编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • War and the Future

    War and the Future

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 风倒梧桐记

    风倒梧桐记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 名人传记丛书:哈代

    名人传记丛书:哈代

    名人传记丛书——哈代——于前人,他是继承和发展;于后世,他是创新和典范:“立足课本,超越课堂”,以提高中小学生的综合素质为目的,让中小学生从课内受益到课外,是一生的良师益友。
  • 太古土兑经

    太古土兑经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 测海集节钞

    测海集节钞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 影帝的天命少女

    影帝的天命少女

    相亲是被逼着去的,算命是被逼着算的,综艺是被逼着上的,任务也是被逼着接的。人前女王高冷霸气,人后无赖撒泼打滚。出门必上热搜你怪我咯!好吧,这全都是天命的错,谁让它有那么强大的副作用呢。天命:呵,凭什么让我背锅。
  • 银月巫女

    银月巫女

    北莽史书记载,恒天七十二年,银月巫女被逐出赫连家族,施以火刑,挫骨扬灰,死无葬身之地。她的一切是属于赫连珈月的,为了他什么都可以牺牲掉,哪怕是生命,只因他那一句“相信我,等着我”,她甘心被擒甘心被火焰吞噬。然而三年后,她竟然从另一个时空回来了?!失去了对这个世界的所有记忆,性格大变,甚至连巫术都忘得一干二净的她,却被赫连珈月封为新任的守护巫女。她究竟是轮回转世,还是平行空间穿越,亦或者,她根本就不是那位强大的巫女,而是令巫女复活的活祭品?
  • 道宣律师感通录

    道宣律师感通录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 暗瞳

    暗瞳

    十宗罪之外的战争:情报界的高智商对抗,跨国暗战一触即发。蜘蛛、周浩晖、紫金陈联袂推荐!The Dark Eye全球情报危机管理的入门教程揭秘情报世界的悬疑推理小说媲美“谍影重重”,多家影视公司争相洽谈版权如果能要风得风要雨得雨,见不到阳光又如何?没有什么是不需要代价就能获得的。我们这种人能体会与众不同的生活,长期冒着危险四处工作,今后的归宿往往是垃圾堆。所以,不妨在活着的时候对自己好一点,别有那么多负担。
  • 纸上月光

    纸上月光

    本书是作家查一路又一部奉献给读者的智慧书。作者以深情之笔和无处不在的灵感,写旧年风月,写人世苍凉……再微末的细节,都是冲着你的一个意味深长的微笑。叙述,处处有峰回路转,时时呈现给读者云开日出的豁然境界。
  • 妃常麻烦:王爷,你休了我吧

    妃常麻烦:王爷,你休了我吧

    她只是去买个包子而已,竟然会被狗追的坠楼,好吧,她倒霉她认了!坠楼之后,她就发现自己穿了,OK,穿就穿了吧!总比被摔得血肉模糊,半身不遂的好啊!但是能不能给她换个出场方式啊,怎么能直接从人家的房顶上砸下去呐~~~害的她刚穿过去就变成了一个债奴,这也太强悍了吧!“儿啊,娘总算找到你了啊!”这是什么情况,突然冒出了一双爹娘,还硬说她是她的现任债主,那个跟笑面狐狸一样的王爷,从小就预约了的王妃,骗人的吧?“烟儿,过来,我们该入洞房了”一脸微笑的向她伸出了手,猛摇头,她不要啊,王爷,您别客气,直接给她一封休书就OK!她挺得住...“非烟,跟我走”深情的他走了过来,不是吧,你没听过,哥哥妻弟弟不可欺这句名言吗?“凝儿,你真的不记得律哥哥了吗?”一双满是悲痛的眼睛,凝望着她,这真的是那个杀人不眨眼的魔教教主嘛,她要怎么跟他解释啊!苍天啊,她惹不起,她跑总可以吧......
  • 我改变不了你

    我改变不了你

    我是一个想靠自己努力改变命运的人,怎奈命运多舛,三年的全职太太生活让我差点抑郁,在我的努力下,我成了一名老师……在和朋友们的交往中,开始羡慕城里人的生活,在家里人都不同意的情况下,我强行调入了离县城比较近的乡镇,因为我觉得这个乡镇将来会被并入西安市。但那时候我的任何理由都不被家里人所理解,我们从吵架到打架,离婚看似迫在眉睫,为了给孩子一个完整的家,我委曲求全,想改变他的思想……但最终我发现:任何人都改变不了别人,能改变的只有自己。