登陆注册
5370200000166

第166章

We have two kinds of evidence to tell us which bird in this case is the model, and which the copy. The honeysuckers are coloured in a manner which is very general in the whole family to which they belong, while the orioles seem to have departed from the gay yellow tints so common among their allies. We should therefore conclude that it is the latter who mimic the former. If so, however, they must derive some advantage from the imitation, and as they are certainly weak birds, with small feet and claws, they may require it. Now the Tropidorhynchi are very strong and active birds, having powerful grasping claws, and long, curved, sharp beaks. They assemble together in groups and small flocks, and they haw a very loud bawling note which can be heard at a great distance, and serves to collect a number together in time of danger. They are very plentiful and very pugnacious, frequently driving away crows and even hawks, which perch on a tree where a few of them are assembled. It is very probable, therefore, that the smaller birds of prey have learnt to respect these birds and leave them alone, and it may thus be a great advantage for the weaker and less courageous Mimetas to be mistaken for them. This being case, the laws of Variation and Survival of the Fittest, will suffice to explain how the resemblance has been brought about, without supposing any voluntary action on the part of the birds themselves; and those who have read Mr. Darwin's "Origin of Species" will have no difficulty in comprehending the whole process.

The insects of the Moluccas are pre-eminently beautiful, even when compared with the varied and beautiful productions of other parts of the Archipelago. The grand bird-winged butterflies (Ornithoptera) here reach their maximum of size and beauty, and many of the Papilios, Pieridae Danaidae, and Nymphalidae are equally preeminent. There is, perhaps, no island in the world so small as Amboyna where so many grand insects are to be found.

Here are three of the very finest Ornithopterae--priamus, helena, and remiss; three of the handsomest and largest Papilios--ulysses, deiphobus, and gambrisius; one of the handsomest Pieridae, Iphias leucippe; the largest of the Danaidae, Hestia idea; and two unusually large and handsome Nymphalidae--Diadema pandarus, and Charaxes euryalus. Among its beetles are the extraordinary Euchirus longimanus, whose enormous legs spread over a space of eight inches, and an unusual number of large and handsome Longicorns, Anthribidae, and Buprestidae.

The beetles figured on the plate as characteristic of the Moluccas are: 1. A small specimen of the Euchirus longimanus, or Long-armed Chafer, which has been already mentioned in the account of my residence at Amboyna (Chapter XX.). The female has the fore legs of moderate length. 2. A fine weevil, (an undescribed species of Eupholus,) of rich blue and emerald green colours, banded with black. It is a native of Ceram and Goram, and is found on foliage. 3. A female of Xenocerus semiluctuosus, one of the Anthribidae of delicate silky white and black colours.

It is abundant on fallen trunks and stumps in Ceram and Amboyna.

4. An undescribed species of Xenocerus; a male, with very long and curious antenna, and elegant black and white markings. It is found on fallen trunks in Batchian. 5. An undescribed species of Arachnobas, a curious genus of weevils peculiar to the Moluccas and New Guinea, and remarkable for their long legs, and their habit of often sitting on leaves, and turning rapidly round the edge to the under-surface when disturbed. It was found in Gilolo.

All these insects are represented of the natural size.

Like the birds, the insects of the Moluccas show a decided affinity with those of New Guinea rather than with the productions of the great western islands of the Archipelago, but the difference in form and structure between the productions of the east and west is not nearly so marked here as in birds. This is probably due to the more immediate dependence of insects on climate and vegetation, and the greater facilities for their distribution in the varied stages of egg, pupa, and perfect insect. This has led to a general uniformity in the insect-life of the whole Archipelago, in accordance with the general uniformity of its climate and vegetation; while on the other hand the great susceptibility of the insect organization to the action of external conditions has led to infinite detailed modifications of form and colour, which have in many cases given a considerable diversity to the productions of adjacent islands.

Owing to the great preponderance among the birds, of parrots, pigeons, kingfishers, and sunbirds, almost all of gay or delicate colours, and many adorned with the most gorgeous plumage, and to the numbers of very large and showy butterflies which are almost everywhere to be met with, the forests of the Moluccas offer to the naturalist a very striking example of the luxuriance and beauty of animal life in the tropics. Yet the almost entire absence of Mammalia, and of such wide-spread groups of birds as woodpeckers, thrushes, jays, tits, and pheasants, must convince him that he is in a part of the world which has, in reality but little in common with the great Asiatic continent, although an unbroken chain of islands seems to link them to it.

同类推荐
  • 宣宗皇帝御制诗

    宣宗皇帝御制诗

    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。
  • 师友诗传录

    师友诗传录

    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。
  • 禅苑蒙求拾遗

    禅苑蒙求拾遗

    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。
  • 临济宗旨

    临济宗旨

    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。
  • 明朝小史

    明朝小史

    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
  • 冷情王爷遇上俏佳人

    冷情王爷遇上俏佳人

    她,大学一年级的校花,聪明,活泼,集美丽、智慧于一身,是个人人羡慕的天之骄女。却因带上一个古董玉镯穿越到古代。遇上了俊美冷情的王爷。他,一个堂堂的王爷,是皇上最亲密的堂弟及朋友,富可敌国,相貌堂堂,却对女人不重视。直到遇见一个古灵精怪的丫头。让他费解、让他发怒、让他欣喜、让他忧伤、让他兴奋、让他痛苦,让他情不自禁,欲罢不能。火与冰相遇,会发生什么?大家肯定会说:“冰被火融化了呗。”哈哈哈......大家全猜对了。不过,火融化冰的过程很精彩,不要错过喓!
  • 苕溪渔隐词话

    苕溪渔隐词话

    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。
  • 当世界被改成了游戏时

    当世界被改成了游戏时

    (幕后文)回到家后发现家里多了一个称作自己为神的小萝莉后该怎么办?经过一系列的解释后终于明白了这一切不是在做梦,我居然真的成为了一个世界的神明。但掌管世界的时候却发现自己居然那么的弱,自己的世界只属于一个在世界链最底端的世界。但不要千万放弃治疗,自己可是一个拥有挂的神。别的神明都在搞一些什么独权主义,在压榨人们的劳动成果,在逼着人们去工作,在吞噬其他的小世界……而自己这里却在搞游戏,玩家们会自愿的去熬夜打怪。“停下!这个怪让我来杀!”而对待其他的世界也是要去搞拥有进步性的民权主义,绝不会完全的吞噬。“记住!和我的子民们交易一定要公平的去交易,绝不要免费的给他们提供服务,给东西要交钱!”而在宇宙中的其他神明依然在像老套路一样去管理,却不知道宇宙即将要来临一次超大的变革!
  • 萌学园之种族公主

    萌学园之种族公主

    『将此文,送给所有热爱萌粉的宝贝们,我与你们一样,始终如一。』 宇宙数千年大小的战役,造就了如今的种族内斗。种族介壮丽辉煌的外表下,那内在黑暗的一幕幕却令人作呕。她统治宇宙,手握大权,嗜血如麻,创造了一个又一个光辉奇迹,百年后,一度成为宇宙最伟大的神话。但亲情远去,欺骗利用,那短短的一刹那,却彻彻底底的毁了她的一生,在最艰苦的时光里,她能否打破命运之轮的转盘?又该如何拼搏?一段谎言赤心的纠结;一段头脑与能力的较量;一场阴谋中的阴谋,即将展开……读者群:574601847
  • 世间女子最相思

    世间女子最相思

    古典诗词中涉及春愁闺怨的那一部分,最为唯美感人。或借景抒情,或咏物明志,说不尽细腻柔软的女子心思。《世间女子最相思》精选其中上乘之作,结成春闺二十四章。《世间女子最相思》作者风约湘裙从女子身边之物讲起,结合用典、传奇以及古代习俗,结合诗人、词人的生平,阐述诗词浪漫意境,描绘女子古典之美,诉说凄美的悲欢离合。
  • 密室暗枪

    密室暗枪

    还差几分钟就到晚上八点了。一栋中高档写字楼的大门口,一下子涌出一群男男女女,这些丽丽贸易公司的白领们穿着清一色灰色公司制服,为首那个叫方妮的一出了门就开始一路小跑,落在她后面的几个人一面向对面职员宿舍所在的荷苑小区快步走着,一面叽叽喳喳地抱怨:“偏到快下班时才开会,差点误了看《密室暗枪》!”“胡总明早要搭飞机去上海公干,所以要安排一下呀!”“我们算幸运的,张经理和胡小东还被她扣在办公室商量工作呢。”“快走吧,电视剧马上开演了!”
  • 妃你不可

    妃你不可

    现代女孩章清婠重生在大夏朝的公侯世家,父母疼,兄长爱,本该是顺遂一生的生活,奈何萧子侑就是她顺遂人生中最大的绊脚石。那个在外人眼中英俊冷酷,不近人情的大夏朝赫赫有名的摄政王,只有在章清婠的面前才能将他不被人知的流氓特质发挥的淋漓尽致。章清婠:“我已经有钟意的人了”萧子侑:“是么?那太可惜了,看来软的不行只能来硬的了!”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 黄檗山断际禅师传心法要

    黄檗山断际禅师传心法要

    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。
  • 春秋霸业

    春秋霸业

    当天夜里,风势很大,大家都在呼呼大睡的时候,田风把他们叫了起来,吩咐这几十个人,去周边砍了些树,然后田风把这些树,拿刀截成一段段的,有从地上随意的捡起两块石头,搓呀搓的,众人都不知道田风要干什么,田风把手都搓的通红了,一会之后,突然一阵火光,烧在了被砍断的木条上。
  • 法治的谜面

    法治的谜面

    本书的主题集中在中国司法、法律职业、教育公平、图书评论等几个方面。这些评论文章的一个重要特点是“无立场有是非”。作者不预设任何立场,完全以一个局外人身份站在中立立场上就司法问题、教育公平问题等社会热点问题表达自己的认知与见解。这些文章承载着作者的学术良知和客观公正信念。文以载道,这些文章表达的是作者是非高于立场的为学为人之道。 大部分内容是近年来在作者《法制日报》、《检察日报》、《东方早报》、《南方都市报》、《凤凰周刊》、《新世纪》、《新产经》、《法学家茶座》等报刊上发表的六十余篇观察分析评论文章。