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The birds of the South-West Islands Wetter, Roma, Kisser, Letti and Moa

1904; Natural History Museum at Tring; Volume: 11; Linguagem: Inglês

10.5962/bhl.part.26832

0950-7655

E Hartert,

Nuts composition and effects

rpHE Dutch have givLMi the name of the South-West Ishuuls to these and other -L ishimls to the north and east of Timor, and in this term include also Dammer, or Dama, in the Banda Sea.In a former artiele {Xoi:.Zoo/.lUtlO, jiji.12-24) 1 have described the birds from Uammer, therefore I do not mention them here again, and shall discnss only the birds of those islands where our indefatigable correspondent Heinrich Kiihn has collected.He visited the islands of Wetter, Roma, Kisser, IMoa and Letti.Unfortunately he was so far not able to go to Babber, which ditlers faunistically considerably from the more western islands, and to Sermatta, of which nothing is known at present.On the other hand he made by f\ir the best collections ever brought together on Wetter, Letti and Kisser, and visited Roma and Moa as the first ornithological collector.Onr knowledge of the avifauna of these islands has hitherto been very im[ierfeet.The first birds sent to a European museum were some collected by D. S. Hoedt, one of the famous collectors of the Leyden Museum, who visited Wetter, Letti and Kisser between 1863 and ISOS.He discovered some very fine species, but the number of species collected by him was very small.A few birds were sent more recently to the Dresden Museum by J. G. Riedel from Wetter, Letti, Babber, Tiuang, and Dawelor.Luang is a small islet between Leikor and Sermatta, Dawelor close to Babber.In 1896 and 1S97 Karl Schildler sent large and fine collections to lieyden from Kisser (38 species), Wetter (54 species), and Babber (31 species), altogether 244 skins and 173 in spirits.This was indeed a large increase, and it seemed that not very mnch conld be left on the three islands for a bird collector.Nevertheless we induced Mr. Heinrich Kiihn to try his luck; and not only did he send the first birds from Roma and Moa, but also on Letti, Kisser, and especially on Wetter, very many additions were made, among them some unexpected novelties, snch as Mi/zomda Imehni, Calornis kuelnii, and others.As jiractically the whole material known until the beginning of this century (with the e.xception of the few specimens in the Dresden Museum) was preserved in Leyden, Dr. Finsch Impjiily resolved to give a list of the birds known from all these islands, and wrote an excellent article : " Systematische Uebersicht der Vogel der SiUhvest Inseln," in vol.x.\ii. of tlie "Notes of the Leyden .Museum," pp.225-309, plates 3-5 (1901).This contained 123 species, including those from Dammer (52).From Wetter he enumerated 5s, from Kisser 35, Letti 21, Babber 37. Needless to say, Dr. Finsch's account has been of Die greatest value to me during my work, especially as he had so many types Ijcfore iiim ; still more needless to say that it is as consrienliousjy written as all the works of its author.Nevertheless my conclusions (inter in various cases from his.Ornithologists will be aware without my statement that this is due to our different views of treatment of closely allied forms.Dr.Finsch acknowledges only species, and still raises the question : species or not species?I recognise not only sjiccies, but also subspecies (geographical forms).( 175 ) Very slight diflferences are liy Dr. Fiiiscli not considered sufficient for '"specific" separation, while for me no differences an' too slight for " subspecific " separation, if connected with geographical separation.My subsjiecies (geogra]ihical rejiresentatives) are either disregarded by my oi)iionents or treated as sj)ecies.This difference is not one between Dr. Finsch and myself, but that between two schools of ornithologists, of which much has been said and more will be said in another place.But apart fmm my different mode of studying closely allied forms, the larger series collected by Mr. Kiihn have sometimes given me the advantage over Dr. Finsch, who often had a few specimens only.Frecpiently where he had one or two I had before me six, eight or more, and where he had four, five or six, I had twenty-nine, thirty or forty sjiecimens or more, and from several more islands.From Wetter Kiihn sent 84 species (an increase of 26 to those known), from Letti 57 (an increase of 36), from Roma 6n (none known before), Bloa SS (none known before), and also from Kisser many more than formerly were registered.Wetter (Weeter or Weeta) is the largest of the islands visited.It is not much naore than forty kilometres north of E. Timor.Its fauna is mostly Timorese, Init there are some very striking peculiar forms, such as Alopecoenas koedti, Sjj/u'cot/irres //'//loleuciis, Sfit/mafops iiottihilis, Mi/zomela kmhni, and some very strongly marked subspecies.Wetter is ajiparently of very old volcanic origin, with high and piirtly bare monntains.A great portion of the island is covered with tamarind-trees, mixed with a tall tree with smooth white stems and ver\' small leaves ; mider the trees grow grass and many thorny creepers.Kiihn says that he never saw a country with so many thorny creepers, trees and bushes.They were a great trouble.The rare Cliaraxes was always found among the thickest thorn bushes, and it wa?almost impossible to catch them on account of the thorns, which stopped jirogress of man and net.The steep hills resemble heaped-up masses of dihris, and are mostly but thinly covered with green, though in the valleys and on the more sheltered slopes grow many kinds of lemons, sweet citrons and mandarines.In Ajiril should have been the rainy season, but rain fell only a few times, so that there was great drought.In addition to this affliction, locusts were devastating the plantations and smallpox was decimating the natives.On Kisser the latter disease killed 120(1 of 86UII inhabitants.Wax and honey from the numerous wild bees, sandalwood, lemons, goats and buffalo-horns are exported.Mr. Kiihn was very unlucky on Wetter.The drought caused scarcity of food and the dust was most disagreeable.The northern side of the island could not possibly be visited, on account of the hostility of the head-hunters, who ari.-very strong and indomitable and were not attacked by the smallpox.The first collection, made in April 1961, of 516 skins and 606 lepidoptera, was entirely lost in shipwreck, but the result of the second stay in September and October 1902 was similar as regards birds, though lepidoptera were theu very scarce.Fever attacked Mr. Kiihn and all his men very severely, and one of the latter died afterwards.Besides the species sent, Mr. Kiihn saw, but failed to obtain : (1) a kind of swallow ; (2) llfilinxtur indus iiitermedius ; (13) a Cuculus {^ intenmdius) \ (4) a gull ; (5) a Monarcha {J iitoriudus) ; (6) the Strix from Kisser ; (7) the Mnnia from Kisser ; (8) a kind of Dkaeum {^) \ (9) a large white heron ; (10) Sci/fhrops iiovachollandiac \ (11) a grey heron ; (12) a light grey heron with black edges to the wings.According to native reports a small parrot, fh/pochnrmo.'^i/iiaor Nasiterna (? !) occurs, but this seems very doubtful.Roma (Itomah or Teralta) lies about 27 miles E. of Wetter, 21 miles N.N.E.( no )of Kistier, and is aliimf twelve luili's lon^'.It is vt-rv mouutainons, and Kiiliii thinks it consists of several ancient volcanoes.He found several warm and even hot snl|iliiirons springs.Sulphnr occnrs in some ])laces.Kiihn says he came across basaltic and tradiytic j)illars ; while in other parts of the isle, esiiccially on tiie sontli side, coralline liaiest(.n('predominates.Ferrn^inons sand or iscrine and lar;Lrc shinjiles or boulders of sulphide of lead are freipient along the shore.Hoina is well woiidi'd and fertile.The greater part of the jiopulation are Christians, the rest are devoted to the '• opolare " or cult of the ancestors.The men wear mostly only a belt, the women (at least the heathens) only the Malayan "sarong" and a short blackish bluejacket ("kabaya"), dyed with indigo.All the women are experts in weaving.Tortoiseshell, copra, green snail-shells and wax are e.xported.Of mammals Kiihn noticed only wild j)igs, cnscus, a parado.xnms,rats and mice.Of reptiles many large ])ythons, a green poisonous snake, several harmless snakes, and some lizards -among them a flying one-were seen.In addition to the birds sent, Ilnliaiifiir iii'lun intermedius, Haliai'tus leucogaster, and a large owl were noticed.Very few insects were about, on account of the continued drought.Kisser (Kissa) lies south-eastward of the east end of AVetter, and about lo miles north of the east end of Timor, and is about five miles long and lour miles wide.Its summit is about 805 ft.high.It is fertile and well inhabited.Letti is about 23 miles E.N.E of the East Cape of Timor, 3.5 miles .S.E.by E. from Koma, and about eight miles in extent.It is fertile and well wooded, though sometimes suffering from drought.Bloa is separated from Letti by a cliannel four miles in width ; it is about twenty miles long.On the N.E.part of the island is a higii mountain 41(10 ft.high ; the rest is generally flat and coralline, with little cultivation on the 8. and S.E.sides.As I have said before, collections were unfortunately not made ou the more eastern islands, Sermatta and Babber.This is the more regrettable as the avifiinna of Babber differs considerably from that of the more western islands, being, in fact, in many instances very similar to that of Tenimber.Needless to say, the islands nearest to Timor have more Timorese forms than those farther east.TJie following list will show what is found on the various islands.It would seem that the avifauna of the islands visited by Kiilm is now fairly well kiuiwn, and I hope that he will, when recovered from his attack of malaria, also visit Sermatta and Babber.GALLINACEAE.