V °qo in '] The Nutmeg {Torres Strait) Pigeon. iS^ 



is at all seasons an abundance of fruits and berries of some kind for the 

 birds to feed on. The date-like fruit of the terminalia (native "wong-ai"), 

 which in size and shape resembles one of their eggs, is a special favourite 

 and easily swallowed whole, and for the months of September and October 

 the " Gainawa," like the natives, subsist principally upon it; later on the 

 talamba (allied to the mangoes), the red berries of seaforthia, the cariotas 

 and many other palms ; of " tuka," " tulu," " puri " (native names) and 

 numerous trees come into season, which gives them a generous supply of 

 food at all periods of their stay here, and when certain trees are in heavy 

 bearing the birds to a considerable extent acquire the flavour of the berries 

 they feed on, some of which are distinctly disagreeable, the " puri " especi- 

 ally giving a flavour which penetrates the whole of the flesh, and being 

 similar somewhat to that of a very sweet sweet-potato. 



I am not sure as to what is the extreme southern limit of the White 

 Pigeon's habitat, but in '61 I shot two on Funnel Creek, south of Cape 

 Palmerston, and later on observed them on the Burdekin River ; and 

 during a journey overland to Cape York from R'ockhampton in '64 saw 

 but two birds, on the Mitchell River, about five miles below its junction 

 with the Lynd ; and again, while making the overland telegraph line 

 from Cape York to Coen, saw but a few birds, in the marginal scrubs on 

 the banks of the Skardon and Batavia Rivers ; also on a trip from Somerset 

 to Ebagula and back again (returning by a different route), which occupied 

 a period of eight months, not a bird was seen, consequently it may be 

 assumed that their visits to the peninsula are confined or nearly so to the 

 coast and its vicinity, and I may here remark that among the many 

 stations (" settlers' ") on the way between Coen and Cape York I did not 

 see a shot-gun, the armoury usually consisting of a rifle, wherewith to 

 shoot the customary ration bullock monthly, and revolvers carried on the 

 waist belt, and also that my nearest neighbour in Australia is 200 miles 

 distant. I merely quote this to show that Carpophaga luctuoso has 200 

 miles of country to live in free from molestation. 



In one of the attachments to your letter it is remarked that " there can 

 be no doubt that the indiscriminate slaughter which takes place on some 

 of the islands while the birds are nesting must tend to reduce the natural 

 increase." Relative to this, so far as I am aware the islands are all unin- 

 habited, unless temporarily by a canoe party of natives, or now and then 

 by a couple of coloured men tortoise-shell hunting, so naturally comes 

 the question, " Who are the slaughterers ? " Many years ago, whilst there 

 was a thriving beche-de-mer industry flourishing along the coast, carried 

 on by large vessels employing from 1 to 200 semi-savage Kanakas, this 

 assertion may have been gently applicable, but those times, men, and 

 manners are long since past, the spasmodic trade being now carried on 

 by small cutters from Thursday Island, which, owing to the difficulty 

 and restriction placed on procuring native labour, unless for missionary 

 purposes, are manned by two men (usually Manila-men), and at times by 

 one, or a man and his wife, who sail the boat along the coast and procure 

 local native labour, bound only by some verbal agreement, which is 

 apparently satisfactory to the employe, as he is always ready and willing 

 to " come again " so long as the work does not take him away from his 

 district ; and the people engaged in the trade do not carry firearms, as by 

 so doing they are afraid of putting weapons into the hands of their crew. 



The pearl-shelling industry and its working economy have now under- 

 gone a thorough change both in style and scene. Formerly diving 

 operations were carried on in small boats, manned by South Sea Islanders, 

 who worked in the passages amongst the numerous islands on the shelling 



