278 Messrs. E. L. and E. L. C. Layard on Birds 



A little further on I heard the scratching (sure sign !) ; but 

 while cautiously peeping round a big tree, an envious rotten 

 branch caught against my breast and broke with a loud snap, 

 and I just got a glimpse of the " Malou " running like a race- 

 horse over a slight elevation close by. Next day I was in 

 a ravine so precipitous that I had to get into the summit of 

 a big tree, and climb down that way. I had not gone far 

 when I heard something that sounded remarkably like a 

 " Malou. ^^ As before, I was in the bed of the watercourse. 

 I looked all about the almost perpendicular sides : nothing to 

 be seen ; but the noise still continued ; and at last, right in 

 front of me, on a little pebbly bank, under a huge rock, I 

 caught sight of two splendid '^Malous," slowly retreating, and 

 looking full at me. They were evidently old birds, in full 

 breeding-plumage, their bare red heads and necks shining 

 grandly in a gleam of sunshine ; and they carried their absurd 

 little tails stuck straight down between their legs. I was de- 

 lighted at getting such a good look at so rare a bird, and tried 

 to get both at one shot ; but I have been " sold " too often by 

 being too greedy, so knocked over the furthest one with a half- 

 charge. The other one apparently vanished into thin air, as 

 I saw nothing more of him. About a mile higher up the 

 ravine I was startled by the hoarse cry of alarm, which appears 

 to be the only sound these birds emit, and I could just see 

 the bird's red head as he stared at me from behind a clump 

 of rocks. I soon had the pleasure of handling him. My 

 friend the planter was astonished at my success, and said that 

 though he had resided there five years he had never got three 

 birds in two days. 



The natives on Ambrym and Espiritu Santo told me there 

 were plenty about, and promised me both birds and eggs ; but 

 we stayed too short a time in each place to allow the novelty 

 of the ship^s presence to wear off, so that they could go and 

 hunt. As I was stepping into the boat at Ambrym a native 

 rushed up with one egg, and I gave him a stick of tobacco 

 for it. The iris of this bird is dark brown ; bill pale yellow ; 

 legs and feet bright yellow ; claws horn-coloured, very long, 

 curved, and flat on the underside. — L. L. 



