I am much obliged to Latham for quoting me, and hope to see it soon.  That ought to make my name a little known.  I have not your talent at making acquaintances, and find Singapore very dull.  I have not found a single companion.  I long for you to walk about with and observe the queer things in the streets of Singapore.  The Chinamen and their ways are inexhaustibly amusing.  My revolver is too heavy for daily use.  I wish I had had a small one.—­Yours sincerely,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

TO AN UNKNOWN CORRESPONDENT[13]

Si Munjon Coal Works, Borneo.  May, 1855.

One of the principal reasons which induced me to come here was that it is the country of those most strange and interesting animals, the orang-utans, or “mias” of the Dyaks.  In the Sarawak district, though scarce twenty miles distant, they are quite unknown, there being some boundary line in this short space which, obeying the inexplicable laws of distribution, they never pass.  The Dyaks distinguish three different kinds, which are known in Europe by skulls or skeletons only, much confusion still existing in their synonymy, and the external characters of the adult animals being almost or quite unknown.  I have already been fortunate enough to shoot two young animals of two of the species, which were easily distinguishable from each other, and I hope by staying here some time to get adult specimens of all the species, and also to obtain much valuable information as to their habits.  The jungle here is exceedingly monotonous; palms are scarce and flowers almost wanting, except some species of dwarf gingerwort.  It is high on the trees that flowers are alone to be found....  Oak trees are rather plentiful, as I have already found three species with red, brown, and black acorns.  This is confirmatory of Dr. Hooker’s statement that, contrary to the generally received opinion, oaks are equally characteristic of a tropical as of a temperate climate.  I must make an exception to the scarcity of flowers, however, tall slender trees occurring not unfrequently, whose stems are flower-bearing.  One is a magnificent object, 12 or 15 ft. of the stem being almost hidden by rich orange-coloured flowers, which in the gloomy forest have, as I have before remarked of tropical insects under similar circumstances, an almost magical effect of brilliancy.  Not less beautiful is another tree similarly clothed with spikes of pink and white berries.

The only striking features of the animal world are the hornbills, which are very abundant and take the place of the toucans of Brazil, though I believe they have no real affinity with them; and the immense flights of fruit-eating bats which frequently pass over us.  They extend as far as the eye can reach, and continue passing for hours.  By counting and estimation I calculated that at least 30,000 passed one evening while we could see them, and they continued on some time after dark.  The species is probably the Pteropus edulis; its expanded wings are near 5 ft. across, and it flies with great ease and rapidity.  Fruit seems so scarce in these jungles that it is a mystery where they find enough to supply such vast multitudes.