Memoirs MCZ 4401

flDemoirs ot tbe /IDuseum of Comparative Zoology? AT HARVARD COLLEGE Vol XLIV No A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF THE EAST INDIAN ISLANDS By THOMAS BARBOUR WITH EIGHT PLATES CAMBRIDGE, U Ipriuteo for tbe November, S A.: Museum 1912 rA TABLE OF CONTENTS "5 INTRODUCTION Narrative and Itinerary Sumatra 11 Nias IG Mentawei Islands Engano 19 Java 21 Borneo 25 Lesser Sunda Islands 28 Celebes 32 Timor-Laut 34 IS Ambon Ceram Mysol Halmahera Group 42 Ke 44 35 3g 40 Islands Aru Islands 47 New Guinea 49 Bismarck Archipelago 57 Solomon Islands 59 ANNOTATED LIST OF SPECIES 63 Amphibia 63 Sauria 79 Serpentes 97 Testudinata 142 • TABLE OF DISTRIBUTION 145, 169 ZOOGEOGRAPHY SUMMARY POSTSCRIPT PLATES 145 ; 165 167 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ZOOGEOGRAPHY OF THE EAST INDIAN ISLANDS' INTRODUCTION During 1906-1907 I visited the of the trip, with notices of East Indies some new species, A short preliminary account was pubhshed in the Bulletin of this Museum new species based wholly or in part on the material collected (Bull M C Z., The 1908, 51, p 313-325) descriptions of other have appeared in the Proceedings of the Biological society of Washington, 190S, 21, p 39-42, 189-190; 1910, deals more fully 23, p The present paper 89-90, p 169-170; 1911, 24, p 15-22 with the collections of reptiles and amphibians NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY It is hardly necessary to give more than a brief outline of the early part of the voyage Bombay was reached November 1906, via Peninsula 2, A Co ships from Brindisi, via Port Said and Aden S S in crossing India, visiting the hills Sunderbans of about Darjeeling, the Teesta Valley, and the belonging to the British India Steam Navigation and Bhamo, trips to at the head one or two other ship of the same line of navigation on the localities, was taken short time was spent Rangoon was reached by the Lower Bengal Company slight knowledge of as an interpreter, spoken completed the work done in Burma faithful servant once gained, proficiency not difficult, in the Another to Singapore via Penang and a very in Ah Woo by skilful collector His Malay, made him often helpful and even at times as a teacher is Mandalay Irewady River, with short collecting EngUsh, added to a fluency in the bazaars ship Bharala Visits to In Singapore I was fortunate enough to find a Chinese boy, name, who became a most and Oriental The Malay language and a knowledge of sentence as formation language involves only the memorizing of a vocabulary Work in the ' East Indies began with collecting for a few days about Batavia, Contributions from the Zoological Laboratory of the College, under the direction of E L Mark — No 231 Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard BARBOUR: ZOOGEOGRAPHY G whence we proceeded to Buitenzorg had the assistance I of many in- several excellent Javanese helpers were got by whose aid fluential persons, Here These men were especially useful from the fact that either they had been on the Siboga expedition, or had otherwise acquired useful training and preserving for the collecting Maatschappi j Javan material, we proceeded by of Sourabaya, and boarded there the After arranging S S to Both of the Koninklijke Paketvaart This small steamer was accustomed to make three trips a year through the islands to New Guinea It is impossible to express adequately and the feelings of obhgation for the kindness of the officials of the line of the ship in rail forwarding our aims To accommodate our needs my officers the ship was delayed and her regular itinerary changed, but with no word of complaint from any source The kindness of the chief agent of the regard to the whole expense of the trip showed forward the scientific Company how widespread in Batavia in is the desire to examination of the fauna of these colonies In some ports arrangements were picked up again on the return trip made to leave a collector In other cases it who was was possible to be to arrange with the people to have them assemble material for purchase on our return In many cases the fact that the ship on the same island made localities Most it made calls at a number of near by ports possible to see a large part of of the steaming was done at night, some and there were but few days on the voyage, which lasted more than two months, when for all of these various it was impossible hands to be at work ashore, generally with a very large and useful followThis method of collecting would of course avail ing of local natives an intensive study of the fauna of an island as regards a single group of animals, but for the taking of reptiles and amphibians working together little in will, I think, it works very well Ten people take more in one day than a single person will On the island of Halmahera ten persons days On New Guinea stays of one to three take in the same locality in ten days worked at six localities for eleven days were made at nine locaUties, as well as a couple of days each at Saonek on the neighboring island of Waigiu, and at the island of and the Carolines would be possible in Thus collect, was possible scientific research to for a naturalist attached to deep sea or other taught to it far Mapia between New Guinea more shore Both Malays and Papuans can be in the case of the tobacco, brass wire cut into short lengths, and red cloth New than one of the regular vessels employed and so eagerly; the pay of the natives, etc., of the part of collecting Guinea visited has National geographic magazine for July and August, 1908 A Papuans being popular account been published in the NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY A of the localities visited follows: list — Buleleng, Bali Island Ampenan, Lombok Island Makassar, Celebes Island Tifu, Burn Island LawTii, Obi Island Ambon or Amboina Piru and Wahaai, Island (town has Ceram same name) Island Gane, Galela, Tobello, Ake-Selaka, Patani, and Weeda, on Halmahera Island Ternate, on island of same name Saonek, Waigiu Island Manokwari and Humboldt's Bay, mainland of Papua Sorong, on a small island barely separated by a narrow strait from Papua The same may be The other Papuan said of the islands were Pom, Wool, and Ansus, on Jobi; localities and Meosbundi, on Wiak; both Guinea At the time Fak Fak, Bay this visit was made to Papua, conditions were quite There were an Assistant Resident: in western The islands lying in Geelvink Bay, New _ from what they are even now posts, each with Roon and Djamna New — Merauke, in southwest I New Guinea; Guinea; and Manokwari, near Doreh on Geelvink three mission stations were in this latter region was a Posthouder, but different in all the vast region only three At Sorong there have heard that he has been withdrawn Since this voyage, however, a number of Dutch scientific parties have visited the country; and with the recent increase in the number each year, the real primitive Papuan of will in voyages of the trading steamer time disappear British Papua, now a considerable white population German New Guinea, or Kaiser Wilhehn's for a long while ably administered, has of miners, planters, and traders Land, has, else, a if nothing full corps of officials of every sort This latter region, however, has proved a great disappointment as a colony, from every point of view Dutch New Guinea, lying nearer the equator than the rest of the island, has a cfimate rather more unhealthy swampy land It certainly has a vast area of low-lying As the white population grows, however, modern knowledge to the efficacy of drainage in combating malaria will undoubtedly fairly healthy towns along the coast make as possible The English have shbwn what can be BARBOUR: ZOOGEOGRAPHY Samarai (lone at in southeast Papua, once a deadly now locality, a comparatively liveable town So far the commerce with the Dutch Chinamen natives, or a few resident and forest products, section has been only trading with the for Bird-of-Paradise skins, such as wild nutmegs, are being taken will in time become The etc dammar gum, bird skins at the rate they The rare in the accessible regions fact that — the inconspicuous females going unharmed and the often unknown to the native hunters — accounts that the bird adult males alone are wanted fact for still abundant Its of the Residency at raucous screams Aru and even the nearly related confined to Jobi Island, and more The Great Manokwari Linne), found only in the silky than Islands, those of Shaw) on the mainland of be heard from the porch Bird-of-Paradise {Paradisea apoda much diminished already is still its Papua owing to the fact that The many other way, and have suffered no diminution of numbers be some regulation of this its luxuries traffic, among injustice to the native, as he It is the species of the Paradiseidae, hunted It is to in a desultory be hoped that there perhaps a conservative hmit buys with his skins and only set, This would only what to him are probable that such measures would meet with great opposition Dutch merchants ruljber plantations — these and Makassar at Ternate reason arises for sending a ship to skins; is plumes are longer a certain number of skins allowed to be bartered from each village work no which more common congener, (Paradisea minor especially those confined to the inland mountains, are only may number; in species, (Paradisea jobiensis Rothschild), also rare, is may probably is Papua — as, Until some other for instance, the starting of voyages can only be made to pay by the trade in but this alone now makes the voyage one of the most profitable of any in the Indies After the retiun to Java from the \'oyage, some time was spent at Buitcnzorg in jiacking the collections, and also in making several short collecting trips In this to various parts of the island near hy \illages were visited each town On visited, Sindanglaia, Tjibodas, and other At the last-named tain liranch of the Buitenzorg and Djokjakarta were way locality trips situated the moun- Then Bandoung, Garut, Botanical Gardens and short is made in several directions from the previous trip through the island en route to Sourabaya, before sailing to Bali from that port, From Buitenzorg our collectors some collecting was done in east Java were sent for periods of several weeks each to Sukabumi, Tjibodas, and to locaUties on the slopes keeping separate these various collections made of the volcano Salak at different altitudes, we By are NARRATIVE AND ITINERARY able to throw a little light on the vertical distribution some of of the most promi- nent components of the fauna, especially the reptiles and amphibians A word regarding the mammals was series of the type of a new genus A number 2-3) Two some other branches The of zoology small, but contained a single specimen of high interest, of marsupials of the Peramelidae Suillomeles hispida Allen pi collections in & Barbour (Proc N E of other has been called It zool club, 1909, 4, p 43-46, forms were new to the collections of the Museum specimens of Proechidna were added to material already in the Museum, and others have been obtained specimens in and complete spirits, skeletons, anatomy tion of this interesting form, the Allen (Memoirs Nothing M C Z., of which is were among the more interesting, The that this is one M reported by Dr G to be said regarding the small collection of in that and of Semioptera halmaherae they were previously um-epresented collections The fishes are as yet unstudied cyprinoids from is October, 1912, 40, p 249-307, plates) of special interest Museum's skins, has an almost unrivalled collec- it Series of specimens of Paradtsea jobiensis, birds in the As the Museum now contains since Max Weber Lombok however, contains a few collection, (Zool ergeb., 1894, p 3, 461) has shown of the families of fresh-water fishes characteristic of continental Asia which are also known to exist throughout the islands as far as Bali Lombok discovery that a species of this family occurs in The also, is of interest in connection with the question as to the importance of the Lombok-Bali boundary established An l)y Wallace account of the collection of Echinodermata has been written by Dr Hubert Lyman Clark Rathbun has p 305-317, The also reported M C Z., Miss Mary 1908, 51, p 279-311) on the decapod Crustacea M (Bull C J Z., 1910, 52, pi 1-6) insects are as yet incompletely sorted; exhibition in the in (Bull Peabody Museum of the ethnologic objects are on American Archaeology and Ethnology Cambridge In conclusion, Pim and Frank and my deepest thanks are due, first of B Sherring, of the Indian Civil Service, efficiently in making all, to Messrs who Alan W aided most kindly' collections over a large part of the trip; to H E "Lieut Gen van Heutz, late Governor-General of Dutch India; to the late Professor M Treub, Director of Agriculture; museum at Buitenzorg; to Dr J Kampen, also of the Department to Major P A Ouwens, C Koningsberger of Agriculture ; and All these of the Zoological to Dr P N van gentlemen laid me BARBOUR: ZOOGEOGRAPHY 10 Nor can under the deepest obligation for a multitude of favors other friends: — Mr G A Sedee of Ternate, and Mr Duivenboden, of Ake- New naturalist to live in Then Guinea Paketvaart Maatschappij , to many officials of first the Koninklijke whose constant help was invaluable, I here express appreciation much In preparing his report, I have been ger many forget Halmahera, whose grandfather's schooner carried Wallace, the Selaka, my I aided by Dr Leonhard Stejne- Dr G A Boulenger, Mr Samuel Garman, and especially by Prof E L Mark; though only fair to say that they should in no wise be held re- it is sponsible for any opinions which thank them are expressed herein It is a pleasure to for patient assistance Since writing the previous pages I have received for study a very extensive addition to my My Javan material Mr Owen Bryant, friend, company in with Mr William Palmer, of the United States National Museum, spent somewhat more than a year reptiles a and amphibians in western Java, accumulating a large quantity of These and to the authorities Bryant's material has made it dividuals from the same same places where I collected and with such possible to thanks to the kindness of the examine very large numbers locaUties, since he spent full amount data should have wished much time not believe that I receipt of the collection has not critically as I exist, United States National Museum of the previously to examine so large an region, have been privileged to study, and to retain where duplicates series of desired species collector I It to it possible to point out, probably Javanese material from a limited possible for Nevertheless, many average shown by mth in several of the has ever been possible it me I to examine it quite as have the data taken from the scale-counts of each snake; and these, with the notes it of in- however, unfortunate that the late is, made of Mr I already had, make considerable certainty, the exact local of the species, and in many cases to indicate the strong probability, or even certainty, of the occurrence in Java of geographic races of some It is of the continental species a pleasure to thank Mr Bryant for making Mr Ward Shepard for assistance in especially, besides, to making notes for this collection, me concerning and also it; and acknowledge the painstaking care which Mr E N Fischer has expended upon the plates Fortunately it has been possible to obtain from the collections of Mr A E Pratt and others some small series of examples which have been of the highest interest These are in most cases mentioned passim PLATE PLATE Fig, 12 — Rana inoluccana Boettger Gane, Halmahera — Hyla kampeni Barbour Wahaai, Cerarn Type — Coraufer corrugatus rubristriatus Barbour Roon Fig 13 Fig 14 Island Type Fig 15 Fig 16 — Rana papua — Dolibphis Lesson intestinalis Manokwari, (Laurenti) (Fig New Guinea Buitenzorg, Java 12-16 natural size) Goelvink Bay, New Page 65 Page 76 Guinea Page 70 Page 65 Page 137 Mem Mus- Comp E-Ind Zoogeography Zool 16 _ Plate PLATE PLATE Fig 17 — Doliophis intestinalis (Laurenti) Buitenzorg, Java, dissected to show development poison gland Fig 18-19 Two — Bufo Fig 21 — Bufo Fig 22 — Bufo Fig 20 views of head of type of Liopeltis libertatis Barbour obscurus (Barbour) Sarawah, Borneo biporcatus Tschudi Makassar, Celebes cavator Barbour (Fig of Page 137 Ampenan, Lombok 18-19 twice natural size Fig Buitenzorg, Java Type Page 75 Page 74 Type 20-22 natural Page 119 Page 74 size) Mem^ Mus Comp r;dcner ue Zool E Ind PLATE Fig Mem.Mus CompZool E Ind Zoogeography _ Plate Wemer i'.Vinter FranKior;' PLATE PLATE Fig 31 Fig 32 Fig 33 Fig 34 Fig 35 — Polypedates javanus (Boettger) Tjibodas, — Nyctixalus margaritifer Boulenger — Bufo borbonicus (Boie) Tjibodas, Java Java Tjiboda.s, — Bufo — Bufo cruentatus Tschudi biporcatus Tschudi (Figs 31, Tjibodas, • Java Buitenzorg, 33-35 natural Java Java size Fig 32 twice natural size) Page 68 Page 70 Page 74 Page 75 Page 74 Mem.MusComp.Zool ir.a L 32 35 ;!T,eri\vin;er, FranKfon-'l'I ... specimens in and complete spirits, skeletons, anatomy tion of this interesting form, the Allen (Memoirs Nothing M C Z., of which is were among the more interesting, The that this is one M reported