Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
XXVII
The Natural History of the Moluccas
The Moluccas consist of three large islands, Gilolo, Ceram, and Bouru, the two former being
each about two hundred miles long; and a great number of smaller isles and islets, the most
important of which are Batchian, Morty, Obi, Ké, Timor-laut, and Amboyna; and among the
smaller ones, Ternate, Tidore, Kaióa, and Banda. These occupy a space of ten degrees of latit-
ude by eight of longitude, and they are connected by groups of small islets to New Guinea on
the east, the Philippines on the north, Celebes on the west, and Timor on the south. It will be
as well to bear in mind these main features of extent and geographical position, while we sur-
vey their animal productions and discuss their relations to the countries which surround them
on every side in almost equal proximity.
We will first consider the Mammalia, or warm-blooded quadrupeds, which present us with
some singular anomalies. The land mammals are exceedingly few in number, only ten being
yet known from the entire group. The bats or aërial mammals, on the other hand, are numer-
ous—not less than twenty-five species being already known. But even this exceeding poverty
of terrestrial mammals does not at all represent the real poverty of the Moluccas in this class
of animals; for, as we shall soon see, there is good reason to believe that several of the spe-
cies have been introduced by man, either purposely or by accident.
The only quadrumanous animal in the group is the curious baboon-monkey, Cynopithecus
nigrescens, already described as being one of the characteristic animals of Celebes. This is
found only in the island of Batchian; and it seems so much out of place there—as it is diffi-
cult to imagine how it could have reached the island by any natural means of dispersal, and
yet not have passed by the same means over the narrow strait to Gilolo—that it seems more
likely to have originated from some individuals which had escaped from confinement, these
and similar animals being often kept as pets by the Malays, and carried about in their praus.
Of all the carnivorous animals of the Archipelago the only one found in the Moluccas is
the Viverra tangalunga, which inhabits both Batchian and Bouru, and probably some of the
other islands. I am inclined to think that this also may have been introduced accidentally, for
