The Solomon Islands and Their Natives Part 40

3. Polynesian species, not extending further north and west than New Ireland.

4. Species not hitherto found elsewhere than in the Solomons (and New Ireland.)

1

Gymnodactylus pelagicus Gehyra oceanica Mabuia cyanura Platurus fasciatus.

2

Crocodilus porosus Gecko vittatus Vara.n.u.s indicus Keneuxia smaragdina Enygrus carinatus Dipsas irregularis.

3

Gonyocephalus G.o.deffroyi Mabuia carteretii nigra Enygrus bibronii.

4

Lepidodactylus guppyi, _n. sp._ Lipinia anolis, _n. sp._ Corucia zebrata Dendrophis solomonis Hoplocephalus par, _n. sp._

All of these 19 Reptiles were included in my collection, with the exception of _Corucia zebrata_, which, however, came under my observation. I will now proceed to refer more particularly to the Reptile-fauna of this region.

CROCODILES.--The species of Crocodile (_Crocodilus porosus_, Schneid), which is so common in the Solomon Group, ranges from India and South China through the Malay Archipelago and Papuan Islands to North Australia. In these islands crocodiles appear to frequent in greatest numbers the swamps and sandy sh.o.r.es of uninhabited coral islands, such as those of the Three Sisters, and the coasts of the larger islands in the vicinity of the mouths of the streams and rivers. I frequently surprised them basking on the sand under the shade of a tree. On one occasion I was standing on the spreading roots of a tree that were exposed on the beach, when one of these reptiles darted out from under my feet and dived into the sea. Of the marks that they make on the sand when lying at rest, an oblong shallow impression corresponding to the head, and a curved well-defined grove caused by the tail are alone specially recognisable. When they are not alarmed and move leisurely along, they leave a double row of footprints on the sand, with a narrow median furrow produced by the weight of the tail; but when they have been disturbed and make a rush to escape, they raise their tail and leave only the tracks of their feet on the sand. These crocodiles are equally at home in salt and fresh water. I have frequently pa.s.sed them in my Rob Roy canoe when they have been floating as though asleep at the surface of the sea; and it was always in the sea that they found a refuge when my little craft intruded itself within their haunts. They came under my notice in the fresh-water lakes of Santa Anna and Stirling Island, and in the lower courses of the streams in several localities.

They are apparently in no uncongenial conditions in the salt-water lagoon of Eddystone Island, although its waters receive the hot sulphureous vapours of submerged fumaroles.

These crocodiles do not apparently attain a greater length than 12 or 13 feet. Mr. Sproul shot one at Santa Anna which measured 9 feet. A female that I shot in the Shortland Islands, measured 11 feet. One of the seamen of the "Lark," named Prior, obtained from the natives the skull of a rather larger specimen. Out of half-a-dozen individuals seen on the Three Sisters, not one measured more than 7 or 8 feet.[440] Mr. Bateman, a trader resident at Ugi, told me that at Wano on the St. Christoval coast he saw a very large crocodile which, from his description, appears to have been twice as long as any that I saw. It was, however, dusk at the time; and in connection with this circ.u.mstance I should add that I have found actual measurement to reduce the apparent length of a crocodile from 14 to 11 feet.

[440] A skull given to me by Mr. Nisbet, the government-agent of the "Redcoat," at Ugi, was 12 inches long. It was obtained from the natives of Guadalcanar.

Natives are rarely attacked by these reptiles, and they show little or no fear of them. I have seen a full-grown crocodile dart under a line of swimmers without causing any dismay. Of the numbers I saw, all were but too anxious to get out of my way; and their cowardly nature is well shown in the account of my capture of a specimen which is given below.

However, I came upon a man of Santa Anna who had had his leg broken by one of these reptiles. The natives of Rubiana hold the crocodile in veneration and work without fear in the places which it frequents. They believe that only faithless wives are seized and carried off by the monster. Pigs are occasionally the prey of the crocodile; but its usual diet appears to be opossums (_Cusci_), large lacertilians, and fish.

The following account of the capture of a crocodile may interest some of my readers. It was effected by no more formidable weapons than by a number of long staves and a small "bull-dog" revolver. Accompanied by six natives I was making the ascent of a large stream on the north-west side of Alu, when some of my companions espied a large crocodile at the bottom of a deep pool about 200 yards from the mouth of the stream. In setting to work to effect its capture my men proceeded very methodically to work, and evidently knew the tactics which the creature would employ.

Standing in the water just below the pool, we stood awaiting the descent of the crocodile down the stream, whilst one of the natives was rousing it up with a long pole to make it leave its hiding-place. After a little time it began to get uneasy, and leaving the pool began to descend the stream. Where we were standing, the stream was only knee-deep, and as the reptile pa.s.sed us in the shallow water some natives. .h.i.t it on the head with their poles, whilst others hurled their poles sharpened at the ends, striking it in several places, and I planted a bullet behind its neck. The creature showed no fight and immediately hid itself in the pools near the mouth of the stream. During two hours, after we had been driving it from one pool to another by means of our pointed poles and staves, we seemed no nearer to its capture. At length there was a loud out-cry from the natives. The crocodile was making a final rush for life to cross the bar at the mouth of the stream and escape into the sea. We all followed, some in the canoe and some through the water; and for a short time I thought that the creature would escape. But being a little disabled by our previous attacks, its progress across the bar was somewhat checked; and the foremost of my men caught hold of its tail just as it was getting into deep water. Very quickly we all came up, and a.s.sisted in drawing it high and dry on the beach; and whilst two of our number kept hold of its tail, the remainder belaboured its neck with rocks and sticks until it died.[441] Its length proved to be 11 feet.

Throughout the whole chase the reptile made no outcry, and even when we were belabouring it to death it only gave a kind of growl. In its stomach I found a large quant.i.ty of partially digested food with the remains of an opossum (_Cuscus_) and a large lizard 1 feet long (probably _Corucia zebrata_). It was a female, and, in the oviduct I came upon an egg, which my natives appropriated, saying that it was very good food; but they do not usually eat the flesh. I was unable from want of s.p.a.ce to keep more than the head of the animal, which I cut off and carried back in my canoe to the s.h.i.+p. The skull is now in the British Museum.

[441] An ill.u.s.tration in Mr. Bates' "Naturalist on the Amazons"

represents a very similar scene.

LIZARDS. The Lacertilians are well represented in these islands. Those at present described are given in the subjoined list.

_Geckonidae_

Gymnodactylus pelagicus Gehyra oceanica Lepidodactylus guppyi. _n. sp._ Gecko vittatus var. bivittatus.

_Agamidae_

Gonyocephalus G.o.deffroyi.

_Varanidae_

Vara.n.u.s indicus.

_Scincidae_

Mabuia carteretii cyanura nigra Keneuxia smaragdina Lipinia anolis _n. sp._ Corucia zebrata.

The lizards, which most frequently meet the eyes of the visitors in the vicinity of the beaches, are the two skinks, _Mabuia nigra_ and _cyanura_. As a rule those species that are common at the coast have a wide range, extending either into Polynesia or Papuasia or into both these regions (_vide_ page 307). The species peculiar to these islands came less frequently under my observation. Thus, that of _Lepidodactylus guppyi_, is founded on a single (female) specimen I found in Faro or Fauro Island in Bougainville Straits. _Corucia zebrata_ never came under my notice alive; it is said at Ugi to find its home in the foliage of the higher trees. Doubtless if I could have penetrated to the higher regions of the large islands, I should have obtained a large number of new species. My collections refer for the most part to the sea-border and its vicinity. In the elevated interior of such an island as Guadalcanar there is _a region of great promise_ for the collector; but I shall have a further occasion to refer to this topic.

The Monitor, _Vara.n.u.s indicus_, may be often seen at the coast, basking in the glare of the mid-day sun on the trunks of prostrate trees or on the bare rocks. It is considered edible by the natives of Bougainville Straits. Whilst we were anch.o.r.ed at Oima Atoll, Lieutenant Leeper captured a very large specimen (5 feet 7 inches long)[442] on the rocks close to the sea, and towed it off alive to the s.h.i.+p. After we had tried in vain to strangle it by a cord, a lead was fastened to it and it was sunk overboard, but an hour pa.s.sed before we could say that the reptile was really dead. This Monitor is probably able to swim considerable distances. It very likely owes its wide range (from Celebes to the Solomon Group including Cape York) to the agency of floating trees. On examining the stomach and intestines, I found them empty. An enormous quant.i.ty of fat, developed in two large lobes in connection with the _omentum_ or some other part of the _peritoneum_, almost filled the abdominal cavity. With this store of sustenance and heat, these reptiles must be able to live without food for a long time.[443]

[442] A specimen shot in the Florida Islands measured 3 feet 8 inches.

[443] As an instance of the tenacity of life that some reptiles possess, I may refer to the case of a young terrapin which I kept inadvertently for nearly five months on the coast of China without any sustenance except the dry rust of a tin can.

SNAKES. Hitherto, the following six species of Ophidians have been found in the Solomon Group. All of them were included in my collection and one of them has been described by Mr. Boulenger as a new species.

_Boidae_

Enygrus carinatus bibronii

_Colubridae_

Dendrophis solomonis Dipsas irregularis

_Elapidae_

Hoplocephalus par _n. sp._

_Hydrophiidae_ (_Water-snakes_)

Platurus fasciatus[444]

[444] I was indebted to Lieutenant Symonds of H.M.S. "Diamond" for this snake.

One of the commonest of snakes throughout these islands is _Enygrus carinatus_, a harmless species of the Boa family. It often possesses considerable bulk in proportion to its length. One specimen which I obtained in Treasury Island measured 3 feet in length and 6 inches in girth. I handled a good many living snakes whilst in these islands, since the natives used to bring them in numbers to me both on board and on sh.o.r.e. The statements of the natives and of the white men resident in this region and the general appearance of the snakes had led me to believe that there were no poisonous species in the group. I was therefore somewhat surprised when, on my arrival in England, I learned from Dr. Gunther that I had found a new species as poisonous as the Cobra. On being shown the specimen by Mr Boulenger, I at once recognised an old friend which had been brought on board in a bamboo by the natives at Faro Island and had got loose on the deck. Whilst the men standing round were preparing to kill it with more regard for their own safety than for my feelings, I caught it quickly around the neck and held it under water until it was dead. The natives certainly were not aware of its venomous character, nor was Mr. Isabell, who was my right-hand man in these matters, and used to manage the ticklish progress of removing the snakes from their bamboo-tubes in a manner only suitable in the case of harmless species. I only obtained one specimen of this snake, which was about 2 feet in length. It is named _Hoplocephalus par_ and belongs to the _Elapidae_, a family of poisonous colubrine snakes which possess the physiognomy of the harmless snakes of the same sub-order, and include the Indian and African Cobras with other well known venomous species. In the footnote I have quoted Mr. Boulenger's description of its general appearance for the information of those who visit the group.[445]

[445] The upper surface of the head is uniform blackish brown. The body is crossed above by broad red-brown bands separated by narrow white inters.p.a.ces. The lower surface of the head and body are uniform white, except on the posterior extremity of the body where the red and black extend as lines along the sutures of the ventral s.h.i.+elds. On the tail the red forms complete rings. Nearly every one of the dorsal scales have a blackish brown border. The head is depressed, moderately large, and slightly widened posteriorly. The eye has a vertical pupil.