Appendix. 353 



are to be found looking out for food near the wharf at 

 Meimbong. Curlews are as plentiful here as in Sarawak and 

 other parts of Borneo. I missed the nocturnal ' chuck-chuck ' 

 of the goat-sucker, so common in Labuan. Water-rails and a 

 pretty blue kingfisher are not uncommon by the margin of 

 the Meimbong river, which is close to the harbour, and is an 

 excellent shooting-ground. Gun-boats often come here ; and 

 as the country is now readily accessible, much might doubtless 

 be done in ornithology. Capital angling may be had in this 

 little river ; and there is a good bathing place near the town, 

 and close to the market, where one may be entirely free from 

 the fear of an alligator lurking about in wait for a meal. Now 

 and then the Sultan and his court, male and female, together 

 with all the principal people in the island, meet to enjoy the 

 fun of pig-hunting, the wild boar being very plentiful here, 

 together with two or three species of deer. These pigs do a 

 good deal of damage to cultivated crops ; so that now and 

 then a regular field-day is organised, and nearly every man, 

 pony, dog, and spear in the island are out, versus ' Piggy,' as 

 many as fifty of the latter being slain in a single day. There 

 are so many kinds of sport easily attainable here, provisions 

 of the best are so cheap, a pony may be hired for about Is. 6d. 

 a day, and there is so much that is novel to be seen about the 

 town and the court, that the wonder is that some traveller, 

 fond of sport, and especially ornithology, does not take up his 

 quarters here for a month or two — and particularly as the 

 place is easily reached from Singapore, via Labuan, or from 

 Hong-Kong, via Manila." 



Mr. Burbidge left England on a botanical expedition, to 

 collect living plants ; and his success in this department of 

 natural history is well known. His chief attention having 

 been devoted to plants, it only remains to thank him for the 

 intelligent way in which he devoted his scanty leisure time 

 to forming the present collection of birds. 



The following I believe to be a correct list of Sulu birds as 

 at present known ; and I have included the few species men- 

 tioned by Peale as procured in Mangsi by the United States 



A A 



