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After ten days at Langundi； finding it impossible to get the bird I was particularly in search of （the Nicobar pigeon； or a new species allied to it）； and finding no new birds； and very few insects； I left early on the morning of April 1st； and in the evening entered a river on the main island of Batchian （Langundi； like Kasserota； being on a distinct island）； where some Malays and Galela men have a small village； and have made extensive rice…fields and plantain grounds。 Here we found a good house near the river bank； where the water was fresh and clear； and the owner； a respectable Batchian Malay； offered me sleeping room and the use of the verandah if I liked to stay。 Seeing forest all round within a short distance； I accepted his offer； and the next morning before breakfast walked out to explore； and on the skirts of the forest captured a few interesting insects。
Afterwards； I found a path which led for a mile or more through a very fine forest； richer in palms than any I had seen in the Moluccas。 One of these especially attracted my attention from its elegance。 The stein was not thicker than my wrist； yet it was very lofty； and bore clusters of bright red fruit。 It was apparently a species of Areca。 Another of immense height closely resembled in appearance the Euterpes of South America。 Here also grew the fan…leafed palm； whose small； nearly entire leaves are used to make the dammar torches； and to form the water…buckets in universal use。 During this walk I saw near a dozen species of palms； as well as two or three Pandani different from those of Langundi。 There were also some very fine climbing ferns and true wild Plantains （Musa）； bearing an edible fruit not so large as one's thumb； and consisting of a mass of seeds just covered with pulp and skin。 The people assured me they had tried the experiment of sowing and cultivating this species； but could not improve it。 They probably did not grow it in sufficient quantity； and did not persevere sufficiently long。
Batchian is an island that would perhaps repay the researches of a botanist better than any other in the whole Archipelago。 It contains a great variety of surface and of soil； abundance of large and small streams； many of which are navigable for some distance； and there being no savage inhabitants； every part of it can be visited with perfect safety。 It possesses gold； copper； and coal； hot springs and geysers； sedimentary and volcanic rocks and coralline limestone； alluvial plains； abrupt hills and lofty mountains； a moist climate； and a grand and luxuriant forest vegetation。
The few days I stayed here produced me several new insects； but scarcely any birds。 Butterflies and birds are in fact remarkably scarce in these forests。 One may walk a whole day and not see more than two or three species of either。 In everything but beetles； these eastern islands are very deficient compared with the western （Java； Borneo； &c。）； and much more so if compared with the forests of South America； where twenty or thirty species of butterflies may be caught every day； and on very good days a hundred； a number we can hardly reach here in months of unremitting search。 In birds there is the same difference。 In most parts of tropical America we may always find some species of woodpecker tanager； bush shrike； chatterer； trogon； toucan； cuckoo； and tyrant…flycatcher； and a few days' active search will produce more variety than can be here met with in as many months。 Yet； along with this poverty of individuals and of species； there are in almost every class and order； some one； or two species of such extreme beauty or singularity； as to vie with； or even surpass； anything that even South America can produce。
One afternoon when I was arranging my insects； and surrounded by a crowd of wondering spectators； I showed one of them how to look at a small insect with a hand…lens； which caused such evident wonder that all the rest wanted to see it too。 I therefore fixed the glass firmly to a piece of soft wood at the proper focus； and put under it a little spiny beetle of the genus Hispa； and then passed it round for examination。 The excitement was immense。 Some declared it was a yard long； others were frightened； and instantly dropped it； and all were as much astonished； and made as much shouting and gesticulation； as children at a pantomime； or at a Christmas exhibition of the oxyhydrogen microscope。 And all this excitement was produced by a little pocket lens； an inch and a half focus； and therefore magnifying only four or five times； but which to their unaccustomed eyes appeared to enlarge a hundred fold。
On the last day of my stay here； one of my hunters succeeded in finding and shooting the beautiful Nicobar pigeon； of which I had been so long in search。 None of the residents had ever seen it； which shows that it is rare and slay。 My specimen was a female in beautiful condition； and the glassy coppery and green of its plumage； the snow…white tail and beautiful pendent feathers of the neck； were greatly admired。 I subsequently obtained a specimen in New Guinea； and once saw it in the Kaióa islands。 It is found also in some small islands near Macassar； in others near Borneo； and in the Nicobar islands； whence it receives its name。 It is a ground feeder； only going upon trees to roost； and is a very heavy fleshy bird。 This may account far the fact of its being found chiefly on very small islands； while in the western half of the Archipelago； it seems entirely absent from the larger ones。 Being a ground feeder it is subject to the attacks of carnivorous quadrupeds； which are not found in the very small islands。 Its wide distribution over the whole length of the Archipelago； from extreme west to east； is however very extraordinary； since； with the exception of a few of the birds of prey； not a single land bird has so wide a range。 Ground…feeding birds are generally deficient in power of extended flight； and this species is so bulky and heavy that it appears at first sight quite unable to fly a mile。 A closer examination shows； however； that its wings are remarkably large； perhaps in proportion to its size larger than those of any other pigeon； and its pectoral muscles are immense。 A fact communicated to me by the son of my friend Mr。 Duivenboden of Ternate； would show that； in accordance with these peculiarities of structure； it possesses the power of flying long distances。 Mr。 D。 established an oil factory on a small coral island； a hundred miles north of New Guinea； with no intervening land。 After the island had been settled a year； and traversed in every direction； his son paid it a visit； and just as the schooner was coming to an anchor； a bird was seen flying from seaward which fell into the water exhausted before it could reach the shore。 A boat was sent to pick it up； and it was found to be a Nicobar pigeon； which must have come from New Guinea； and flown a hundred miles； since no such bird previously inhabited the island。
This is certainly a very curious case of adaptation to an unusual and exceptional necessity。 The bird does not ordinarily require great powers of flight； since it lives in the forest； feeds on fallen fruits； and roosts in low trees like other ground pigeons。 The majority of the individuals； therefore； can never make full use of their enormously powerful wings； till the exceptional case occurs of an individual being blown out to sea； or driven to emigrate by the incursion of some carnivorous animal； or the pressure of scarcity of food。 A modification exactly opposite to that which produced the wingless birds （the Apteryx； Cassowary； and Dodo）； appears to have here taken place； and it is curious that in both cases an insular habitat should have been the moving cause。 The explanation is probably the same as that applied by Mr。 Darwin to the case of the Madeira beetles； many of which are wingless； while some of the winged ones have the wings better developed than the same species on the continent。 It was advantageous to these insects either never to fly at all； and thus not run the risk of being blown out to sea； or to fly so well as to he able either to return to land； or to migrate safely to the continent。 Pad flying was worse than not flying at all。 So； while in such islands as New Zealand and Mauritius far from all land； it vas safer for a ground…feeding bird not to fly at all； and the short…winged individuals continually surviving； prepared the way for a wingless group of birds； in a vast Archipelago thickly strewn with islands and islets it was advantageous to be able occasionally to migrate； arid thus the long and strong…winged varieties maintained their existence longest； and ultimately supplanted all others； and spread the race over the whole Archipelago。
Besides this pigeon； the only new bird I obtained during the trip was a rare goat…sucker （Batrachostomus crinifrons）； the only species of the genus yet found in the Moluccas。 Among my insects the best were the rare Pieris arum； of a rich chrome yellow colour； with a black border and remarkable white antennaperhaps the very finest butterfly of the genus； and a large black wasp… like insect； with immense jaws like a stag…beetle； which has been named Megachile Pluto by Mr。 B。 Smith。 I collected about a hundred