IN THE HAST INDIES. _—_15 
axes as our forefathers used in the age of stone. We 
have a fine lot of photographic negatives which we 
developed ourselves with the apparatus we had at 
Tupper Lake; so the practice gained by what seemed 
at the time wasted films was not thrown away after 
all. Exposed films spoil almost at onee in this clim- 
ate, so we had to develop soon, often working till after 
midnight since at that time the water was coolest. You 
see we have no ice on board which makes photographic 
work very difficult. We often had a film simply melt 
away. 
I have shot several hundred birds, some we ate 
and some we saved in skins, including twelve species 
of gorgeous parrots and cockatoos. We also obtained 
some very rare animals from the natives, one being 
an egg-laying anteater of a species peculiar to 
northwestern New Guinea; this we have had alive 
for a month, so that I could get pictures of the beast. 
This has been done and now it is to be chloroformed 
and stuffed to send to the museum. I obtained also a 
dried skin of this Proechidna bruijni. I think there 
is only one now in America. Then we got several 
specimens of the species of Cuscus,a peculiar opossum- 
like beast, which lives on leaves. We also got two 
kangaroos. These we have also had for a long time 
and they became as tame and playful as kittens. It 
was hard to chloroform one yesterday and now the 
other goes to-day. We have a magnificent crimson 
parrot, as tame as a pigeon and a splendid white 
cockatoo with a rosered head as tame as can be. Ros. 
is anxious to bring them home and I think we shall 
endeavor to do so. 
We have of butterfiles, perhaps 2,500, some rare 
