8G2 -Mr. P. L. Sclater on Ornitkolog'ical 



starting in flight at once may have been magnified into one. 

 The flight of the Hornbill is very peculiar, being slow and 

 steady, with the noise of a locomotive engine. The noise 

 made by the bird in its flight was at first recognized by some 

 on board as that of the huge bird seen on the Baxter River ; 

 and then the colour of the bird decided the question : so, 

 although the spread of this monster's wings has already been 

 reduced to 16 feet, I am obliged to reduce it still further, to 

 about 4 or 5 feet. 



" With respect to the dung seen by Captain Moresby, I may 

 remark that a stranger observing for the first time the dung of 

 the Cassowary, and not having the experience which he w ould 

 have when resident for some time in the country, would never 

 suppose it was produced by a bird; in one of such heaps I 

 have counted upwards of forty-three almost undigested seeds 

 of the fruit of a Pandanus. It is certainly a matter of sur- 

 prise to sec the size of the heap of dung deposited by that 

 bird in a wild state. 



" I think it will be interesting to mention that in this part 

 of New Guinea (nearer to Cape York than Hall Sound), I 

 observed that the flora and fauna are more decidedly Pa- 

 puan than at Hall Sound, although the latitude is almost the 

 same. 



" A number of the species of birds which I procured are 

 denizens of New Guinea only ; and here I did not see a single 

 Eucalyptus ; whilst at Hall Sound I have found species of 

 birds common to both Northern Australia and New Guinea, 

 and at least two species of Eiicalyptics very common, as well 

 as many of the North- Australian plants. This, judging from 

 the flora and fauna of the Fly River, evidently shows that 

 this part of the country is more allied to the north-west part 

 of New Guinea than to the eastern portion.^' 



I am glad to be able to add that D'Albertis's excursion 

 up the Fly River has attracted a good deal of attention in 

 Sydney, and that the Government of New South Wales have 

 provided him with a steam-launch for the further prosecution 

 of his discoveries. Moreover a public subscription is likely 

 to be raised to provide for the expenses of further explora- 

 tion in this direction. 



