^°'o^^1 Vivian, So))ie Bird-Life in British Papua. ^^ 



rarely tills the sportsman's bag. A sudden flutter of wings and 

 a dark object flying at a moderate rate towards where the scrub 

 is thickest complete the disgust of the man with the gun. 

 One receives some compensation, however, by being able to 

 rather easily raid the ground nests of these birds for eggs. The 

 nest, or rather natural incubator, is usually at the base of a large 

 tree trunk, where the hen lays her eggs and then covers them 

 over with a huge but light mound of dry leaves 2 to 5 feet deep, 

 and quite 12 feet in diameter. The heat of this rubbish does 

 the rest, and the young find no difficulty in scrambling out into 

 the daylight in due course. The egg is of a light pink colour 

 and is about the size of a domesticated Turkey's. Nests have 

 been discovered at a height of 2,500 feet above sea level. 



On a Government banana plantation, and on large streams, 

 the writer often perceived hosts of Swifts {Collocalia terrce- 

 francicd) appear an hour before sunset, darting rapidly hither 

 and thither, as if feeding on minute insects of the air. This 

 generally occurred during the wet season — November to 

 February. 



It was from the same point — Cape Nelson — that a coming 

 " blow " from the southward was always heralded some hours 

 before by the appearance of a few Frigate-Birds (Fregata aquila), 

 which hovered in the locality while the wind lasted, and as like 

 mysteriously disappeared. It would be more appropriate to call 

 them " Prophet-Birds." During a gale they meet the fierce gusts 

 with seeming equanimity, neither wing moving, but with bodies 

 rigid and heads to windward they remain almost stationary, 

 except occasionally a slightly perceptible swaying and moment- 

 arily opening and closing of the tail feathers — a steadying agency 

 probably, besides an aid to ascent — of which a few remarks will 

 be added later. Then with a lightning turn they gracefully 

 sweep at a downward angle with fearful velocity for any given 

 distance with the wind, and then with the most consummate 

 ease bring up " all standing," poised as before (see fig. 3), the 

 wings meantime remaining stifT, but scarcely horizontal, at the 

 time the bird prepares to turn. Such a resistance do they offer 

 to a storm that when sometimes a bird is balanced a short distance 

 overhead one can almost imagine seeing the wind rushing past 

 its form. They have never been observed to approach the water 

 closer than 300 feet, while on the other hand they often soar 

 upwards to a considerable height. The evident method these 

 birds adopt to ascend is peculiar, and very interesting to watch 

 at close quarters. For, though the bird itself is practically rigid, 

 except for slight movements — particular parts of which have 

 been alluded to — yet those simple actions really explain how the 

 bird rises. Thus, in addition to what has already been stated, 

 they consist of upward and forward motions, as if, while pressing 

 against the wind, advantage is taken when a lull occurs (see 

 fig. i) ; and, secondly, with head still to windward, allowing 

 itself to fall back a few yards as though for a " breather," but 



