1??'7- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 3 ( Jl 



at Palmerston's Island ; king-fishers about the size 

 of a thrush, of a greenish blue, with a white ring 

 about the neck ; and a bird of the thrush kind, 

 almost as big, of a dull green colour, with two 

 yellow wattles at the base of the bill, which is the 

 only singing one we observed here ; but it com- 

 pensates a good deal for the want of others by the 

 strength and melody of its notes, which fill the 

 woods at dawn, in the evening, and at the breaking 

 up of bad weather. 



" The other land birds are rails as large as a pigeon, 

 of a variegated grey colour, with a rusty neck ; a 

 black sort with red eyes, not larger than a lark ; 

 large violet coloured coots with red bald crowns ; 

 two sorts of fly-catchers ; a very small swallow ; 

 and three sorts of pigeons, one of which is le ramier 

 cuivre of Mons. Sonnerat*; another, half the size 

 of the common sort, of a light green on the back 

 and wings, with a red forehead ; and a third, 

 somewhat less of a purple brown, but whitish 

 underneath. 



"Of water-fowl, and such as frequent the sea, are 

 the ducks seen at Annamooka, though scarce here ; 

 blue and white herons \ tropic birds ; common nod- 

 dies : white terns ; a new species of a leaden colour, 

 with a black crest ; a small blueish curlew ; and a 

 large plover, spotted with yellow. Besides the 

 large bats, mentioned before, there is also the 

 common sort. 



" The only noxious or disgusting animals of the 

 reptile or insect tribe, are sea snakes, three feet 

 long, with black and white circles alternately, often 

 found on shore ; some scorpions and centipedes. 

 There are fine green guanoes, a foot and a half 

 long ; another brown and spotted lizard about a 

 foot long 5 and two other small sorts. Amongst 



* Voyage a la Nouvelle Guinte, Tab. cii. 



c c 4 



