THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. SUPPLEMENT TO VOL. XX. DECEMBER 1857. XLV. — On the Natural Histonj of the Aru Islands. By Alfred R. Wallace. In December 1856, I left Macassar in one of the trading prows which make an annual voyage to these islands. On January 1st, 1857, we arrived at the Ke Islands. Here we remained six days, while the natives, who are clever boat-builders, finished two small vessels our captain purchased for the Aru trade. During this time I made daily excursions in the forests, collect-ing birds and insects; but the weather was showery, and the coralline-limestone rocks, which everywhere protrude through the thin soil, are weather-worn into such sharp-edged, honey-combed, irregular surfaces, as to make any distant excursions almost impossible. The great Fruit Pigeon of the Moluccas {Carpophaga (Bnea) was abundant, its loud, hoarse cooings con-stantly resounding through the forest. Crimson Lories of two or three species were also plentiful, but were so wary that we could not obtain any. All other birds were scarce, and I only obtained thirteen species in all, many of which will, however, I think, prove new, viz. : — MegapodiuSj sp., same species Tropidorhynchus, n. sp. ? at Aru. Cinnyris, n. sp. Carpophaga cenea. Zoster ops citrinella, Miill. Ptilonopus, n. sp. Rhipidura, two species. Macropygia, sp., same at Aru. Muscicapidce alise, two species. Dicruncs, sp. Psittacus {Geoffroyus?), sp. Among the birds offered for sale, Eclectus Linrusi and Psitta-codis magnus were the most abundant. Of Mammalia I saw none, and could only learn that a wild pig and a species of Cuscus in-habited the island. The only reptiles I saw were lizards of two or three kinds, one of which, a very long and slender species, with a finely-pointed tail of a most brilliant blue, swarmed every-where on the low herbage, gliding among leaves and twigs in the most rapid and elegant manner. Of insects I made a nice little Ann, ^ Mag. N, Hist. Ser. 2. Fo/.xx. Suppl 31
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