the malay archipelago-1-第70章

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of　these；　which　is　probably　the　extreme　number　a　bird　can　lay　in　one　season。

Every　year　the　natives　come　for　fifty　miles　round　to　obtain　these　eggs；　which　are　esteemed　as　a　great　delicacy；　and　when　quite　fresh；　are　indeed　delicious。　They　are　richer　than　hens'　eggs　and　of　a　finer　favour；　and　each　one　completely　fills　an　ordinary　teacup；　and　forms　with　bread　or　rice　a　very　good　meal。　The　colour　of　the　shell　is　a　pale　brick　red；　or　very　rarely　pure　white。　They　are　elongate　and　very　slightly　smaller　at　one　end；　from　four　to　four　and　a　half　inches　long　by　two　and　a　quarter　or　two　and　a　half　wide。

After　the　eggs　are　deposited　in　the　sand；　they　are　no　further　cared　for　by　the　mother。　The　young　birds；　upon　breaking　the　shell；　work　their　way　up　through　the　sand　and　run　off　at　once　to　the　forest；　and　I　was　assured　by　Mr。　Duivenboden　of　Ternate；　that　they　can　fly　the　very　day　they　are　hatched。　He　had　taken　some　eggs　on　board　his　schooner　which　hatched　during　the　night；　and　in　the　morning　the　little　birds　flew　readily　across　the　cabin。　Considering　the　great　distances　the　birds　come　to　deposit　the　eggs　in　a　proper　situation　（often　ten　or　fifteen　miles）　it　seems　extraordinary　that　they　should　take　no　further　care　of　them。　It　is；　however；　quite　certain　that　they　neither　do　nor　can　watch　them。　The　eggs　being　deposited　by　a　number　of　hens　in　succession　in　the　same　hole；　would　render　it　impossible　for　each　to　distinguish　its　own；　and　the　food　necessary　for　such　large　birds　（consisting　entirely　of　fallen　fruits）　can　only　be　obtained　by　roaming　over　an　extensive　district；　so　that　if　the　numbers　of

birds　which　come　down　to　this　single　beach　in　the　breeding　season；　amounting　to　many　hundreds；　were　obliged　to　remain　in　the　vicinity；　many　would　perish　of　hunger。

In　the　structure　of　the　feet　of　this　bird；　we　may　detect　a　cause　for　its　departing　from　the　habits　of　its　nearest　allies；　the　Megapodii　and　Talegalli；　which　heap　up　earth；　leaves；　stones；　and　sticks　into　a　huge　mound；　in　which　they　bury　their　eggs。　The　feet　of　the　Maleo　are　not　nearly　so　large　or　strong　in　proportion　as　in　these　birds；　while　its　claws　are　short　and　straight　instead　of　being　long　and　much　curved。　The　toes　are；　however；　strongly　webbed　at　the　base；　forming　a　broad　powerful　foot；　which；　with　the　rather　long　leg；　is　well　adapted　to　scratch　away　the　loose　sand　（which　flies　up　in　a　perfect　shower　when　the　birds　are　at　work）；　but　which　could　not　without　much　labour　accumulate　the　heaps　of　miscellaneous　rubbish；　which　the　large　grasping　feet　of　the　Megapodius　bring　together　with　ease。

We　may　also；　I　think；　see　in　the　peculiar　organization　of　the　entire　family　of　the　Megapodidae　or　Brush　Turkeys；　a　reason　why　they　depart　so　widely　from　the　usual　habits　of　the　Class　of　birds。　Each　egg　being　so　large　as　entirely　to　fill　up　the　abdominal　cavity　and　with　difficulty　pass　the　walls　of　the　pelvis；　a　considerable　interval　is　required　before　the　successive　eggs　can　be　matured　（the　natives　say　about　thirteen　days）。　Each　bird　lays　six　or　eight　eggs　or　even　more　each　season；　so　that　between　the　first　and　last　there　may　be　an　interval　of　two　or　three　months。　Now；　if　these　eggs　were　hatched　in　the　ordinary　way；　either　the　parents　must　keep　sitting　continually　for　this　long　period；　or　if　they　only　began　to　sit　after　the　last　egg　was　deposited；　the　first　would　be　exposed　to　injury　by　the　climate；　or　to　destruction　by　the　large　lizards；　snakes；　or　other　animals　which　abound　in　the　district；　because　such　large　birds　must　roam　about　a　good　deal　in　search　of　food。　Here　then　we　seem　to　have　a　case　in　which　the　habits　of　a　bird　may　be　directly　traced　to　its　exceptional　organization；　for　it　will　hardly　be　maintained　that　this　abnormal　structure　and　peculiar　food　were　given　to　the　Megapodidae　in　order　that　they　might　not　exhibit　that　parental　affection；　or　possess　those　domestic　instincts　so　general　in　the　Class　of　birds；　and　which　so　much　excite　our　admiration。

It　has　generally　been　the　custom　of　writers　on　Natural　History　to　take　the　habits　and　instincts　of　animals　as　fixed　points；　and　to　consider　their　structure　and　organization；　as　specially　adapted；　to　be　in　accordance　with　these。　This　assumption　is　however　an　arbitrary　one；　and　has　the　bad　effect　of　stifling　inquiry　into　the　nature　and　causes　of　〃instincts　and　habits；〃　treating　them　as　directly　due　to　a　〃first　cause；〃　and　therefore；　incomprehensible　to　us。　I　believe　that　a　careful　consideration　of　the　structure　of　a　species；　and　of　the　peculiar　physical　and　organic　conditions　by　which　it　is　surrounded；　or　has　been　surrounded　in　past　ages；　will　often；　as　in　this　case；　throw　much　light　on　the　origin　of　its　habits　and　instincts。　These　again；　combined　with　changes　in　external　conditions；　react　upon　structure；　and　by　means　of　〃variation〃　and　〃natural　selection〃；　both　are　kept　in　harmony。


My　friends　remained　three　days；　and　got　plenty　of　wild　pigs　and　two　Anoas；　but　the　latter　were　much　injured　by　the　dogs；　and　I　could　only　preserve　the　heads。　A　grand　hunt　which　we　attempted　on　the　third　day　failed；　owing　to　bad　management　in　driving　in　the　game；　and　we　waited　for　five　hours　perched　on　platforms　in　trees　without　getting　a　shot；　although　we　had　been　assured　that　pigs；　Babirusas；　and　Anóas　would　rush　past　us　in　dozens。　I　myself；　with　two　men；　stayed　three　days　longer　to　get　more　specimens　of　the　Maleos；　and　succeeded　in　preserving　twenty…six　very　fine　ones　the　flesh　and　eggs　of　which　supplied　us　with　abundance　of　good　food。

The　Major　sent　a　boat；　as　he　had　promised；　to　take　home　my

baggage；　while　I　walked　through　the　forest　with　my　two　boys　and　a　guide；　about　fourteen　miles。　For　the　first　half　of　the　distance　there　was　no　path；　and　we　had　often　to　cut　our　way　through　tangled　rattans　or　thickets　of　bamboo。　In　some　of　our　turnings　to　find　the　most　practicable　route；　I　expressed　my　fear　that　we　were　losing　our　way；　as　the　sun　being　vertical；　I　could　see　no　possible　clue　to　the　right　direction。　My　conductors；　however；　laughed　at　the　idea；　which　they　seemed　to　consider　quite　ludicrous；　and　sure　enough；　about　half　way；　we　suddenly　encountered　a　little　hut　where　people　from　Licoupang　came　to　hunt　and　smoke　wild　pigs。　My　guide　told　me　he　had　never　before　traversed　the　forest　between　these　two　points；　and　this　is　what　is　considered　by　some　travellers　as　one　of　the　savage　〃instincts；〃　whereas　it　is　merely　the　result　of　wide　general　knowledge。　The　man　knew　the　topography　of　the　whole　district；　the　slope　of　the　land；　the　direction　of　the　streams；　the　belts　of　bamboo　or　rattan；　and　many　other　indications　of　locality　and　direction；　and　he　was　thus　enabled　to　hit　straight　upon　the　hut；　in　the　vicinity　of　which　he　had　often　hunted。　In　a　forest　of　which　he　knew　nothing；　he　would　be　quite　as　much　at　a　loss　as　a　European。　Thus　it　is；　I　am　convinced；　with　all　the　wonderful　accounts　of　Indians　finding　their　way　through　trackless　forests　to　definite　points；　they　may　never　have　passed　straight　between　the　two　particular　points　before；　but　they　are　well　acquainted　with　the　vicinity　of　both；　and　have　such　a　general　knowledge　of　the　whole　country；　its　water　system；　its　soil　and　its　vegetation；　that　as　they　approach　the　point　they　are　to　reach；　many　easily…recognised　indications　enable　them　to　hit　upon　it　with　certainty。

The　chief　feature　of　this　forest　was　the　abundance　of　rattan　palms　hanging　from　the　trees；　and　turning　and　twisting　about　on　the　ground；　often　in　inextricable　confusion。　One　wonders　at　first　how　they　can　get　into　such　queer　shapes；　but　it　is　evidently　caused　by　the　decay　and　fall　of　the　trees　up　which　they　have　first　climbed；　after　which　they　grow　along　the　ground　until　they　meet　with　another　trunk　up　which　to　ascend。　A　tangled　mass　of　twisted　living　rattan；　is　therefore；　a　sign　that　at　some　former　period　a　large　tree　has　fallen　there；　though　there　may　be　not　the　slightest　vestige　of　it　left。　The　rattan　seems　to　have　unlimited　powers　of　growth；　and　a　single　plant　may　moult　up　several　trees　in　succession；　and　thus　reach　the　enormous　length　they　are　said　sometimes　to　attain。　They　much　improve　the　appearance　of　a　forest　as　seen　from　the　coast；　for　they　vary　the　otherwise　monotonous　tree…tops　with　feathery　crowns　of　leaves　rising　clear　above　them；　a