i62 Fiji's Attroctioii. 



him about a month, and I was not able to save him; T thong'ht 

 i rather unusual for an old cock bird to take on foster duties 

 so successfully. T am hoping" that some of my waxbills will 

 bleed next summer. The more delicate ones came in to their 

 winter quarters last week (Article received November 26. — Ed.) 



Fiji's Attraction. 



AMERICAN VISITOR'S TRIP.— BEAUTIES OF VANUA 



LEVU. 



Reprinted extracts from The Fiji Times and Herald of October 

 9th, with our acknowledgments and thanks. — Ed. B.N. 

 Dr. Casey Wood, the American ornithologist, returned 

 (.n Saturday from one of his expeditions to secure paintings 

 and to investigate the habits of the birds of Fiji — about eighty 

 species in all. 



Asked by a representative of the " Fiji Times and 

 Herald " to say something" about his recent trip, he replied: 

 " With Mr. W. J. Belcher, my artist companion, I left Suva 

 on the ' Sir John Forrest ' especially to study the birds of the 

 Macuata Coast of Vanua Levu. We were very successful, 

 having been able to find a number of birds rare in, or entirely 

 unknown to the other islands of this group. Among" these 

 was the beautiful Bunedamo or Orange Dove. This bird 



(Chrysoenas victor) is not to be confounded with the better 

 known Golden Dove, although that engaging little creature 

 and his pretty little green mate are also among the wonders 

 of the Fijian avifauna. If one has not seen the male Orange 

 Dove (which really ought to be called the Flame-coloured Dove) 

 it is necessary to visualize a bird about eig"ht inches long", with 

 a short but rather broad tail, with a velvety-green cap, while 

 the remainder of the body (wings, back, tail, breast and 

 abdomen) is clothed in a gorgeous dress of deep but brilHant 

 orange. In his flight throug-h the forest, with the sunlight on 

 l;ini as he flies, he reminds one of the passing" of a rocket on a 

 dark night. When the riovernment establishes, perhai)s in 

 connection with the Tourist Bureau, an aviary that both visitors 

 and residents may see and admire one of the chief glories of 

 Fiji — its remarkable bird life — the Flame-coloured Dove will 



