collected or observed in the New Hebrides. 277 



helices, and little hard seeds that form its food. The natives 

 among the New- Hebrides group tell me that in their islands 

 the '^ Malou " deposits its eggs in a hole scratched under a 

 rotten fallen log in the forest, and then covers them up with 

 leaves. This account was confirmed by an intelligent mis- 

 sionary on the island of Sandwich, or Vate. In the Solo- 

 mon Islands, however, I am assured by all the natives I have 

 asked, white traders, and officers of H.M. ships, that tiie 

 birds lay in the sand just above high- water mark. I hope to 

 get to those islands myself next year. While staying on Vate 

 I offered a large reward in beads, tobacco, and tomahawks to 

 any native who would conduct me to a nest, so that I could 

 get the eggs out with my own hands. Just two days after I 

 left in the ' Dayspring ' for the other islands, a man brought 

 three eggs, fresh laid. He was told to come back again as 

 soon as the vessel returned ; but he did not, and I never saw 

 a nest. The natives use the leg-bones of this bird for pipe- 

 stems. I travelled to a place on the eastern side of Vate, 

 where I was told there were still a few remaining. My host, 

 who was just getting over a severe attack of fever and ague, 

 could only take me to the edge of a ravine, and give me di- 

 rections. I stole along carefully, just stepping from one rock 

 to another, and every few yards stopping behind a tree to 

 listen and reconnoitre. I must have walked a mile and a half 

 up that gully, and could not have gone more circumspectly 

 if I had been looking for gold. Twice, I was certain, I heard 

 scratching among the dead leaves, but could see no birds. 

 I could have had several shots at fowls run wild, but I was 

 after nobler game. At length, as the bats were already flit- 

 ting round my head, I thought it time to retrace my footsteps. 

 I had not gone far when, with a hoarse croak, a dark object 

 bounded over the bottom of the watercourse I was walking 

 in. In the gathering darkness I could only see a black mass, 

 like a stone, among the saplings. However, as I knew I could 

 not get any nearer, I tried the choke-bore at it. The smoke 

 hung round so that I could see nothing, and I heard no flut- 

 tering among the leaves ; but when I went up to the place 

 there lav mv first " Malou," shot through the head and heart. 



