Abstract
MR. JOHN WHITEHEAD belongs to the much-maligned class of field-naturalists. For the purpose of obtaining a knowledge of the ornithology of Mount Kina Balu, he spent nearly four years collecting in the region, and accumulated a large number of new species. In addition to visiting North Borneo, he stayed some time at Java and Palawan, and made an expedition into the State of Malacca. The rather cumbersome volume before us recounts the story of these explorations. It consists of 192 pages of general description and 115 pages of matter reprinted from the proceedings of various Societies. Thirty-two excellent plates illustrate specimens from the extensive zoological collections made by Mr. Whitehead, and the places and peoples seen by him. It need hardly be said that these add considerably to the value of the book. Several woodcuts are also included. It would be ungracious to find fault with Mr. Whitehead for looseness of expression, since he craves indulgence for his “literary shortcomings.” He found it far easier to explore an unknown tract of country than to write an account of his travels. Like some other travellers who have given to the world accounts of their wanderings, Mr. Whitehead dwells too much on trivialities. But for all that, there is much that is new and interesting in the book, and one cannot but admire the indomitable spirit which carried the author through numerous difficulties, and enabled him at last to reach an altitude of 13,525 feet on the mountain of Kina Balu.
Exploration of Mount Kina Balu, North Borneo.
By John Whitehead. (London: Gurney and Jackson, 1893.)
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Exploration of Mount Kina Balu, North Borneo. Nature 48, 564 (1893). https://doi.org/10.1038/048564a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/048564a0