PRODUCTIOIVS OF THE ISLAND. 39 



in the present instance of a larg'e extent of jungle, 

 with trees often of g-reat size^ and a dense g-row th 

 of underwood. 



Among' the natural productions of the island I 

 may first allude to the larg-e thickets of bamboo 

 scattered along- the base of the hill as the first new 

 feature in the veg*etation, and secondly, to the small 

 E^icalypti g-rowing" between the hill and the brushes, 

 as this is the most northerly limit of that Australian 

 g'enus known to me. Among* the trees of the 

 brushes I may mention the Aimcardium, or cashew 

 nut, with larg-e red acrid fruit, 3Iimuso2)S Kaukii, 

 often attaining- a g-reat size, and a species of BomhaXj 

 or silk-cotton tree, from the trunk of one of which the 

 canoe we saw upon the beach was being* constructed. 



Of birds the Australian quail, Torres Strait pig-eon, 

 and brown dove were plentiful, and afforded g-ood 

 sport to the shooters j Pitta strepitans (a handsome 

 thrush-like bird of g'audy colom's — red, g-reen, blue 

 and black) was heard calhng* in every brush and 

 thicket. Several larg-e lizards were seenj one of 

 these, about four feet in leng'th, perched upon the 

 fence of one of the deserted huts, at first took so 

 Httle notice of my approach that I refrained from 

 shooting- it, thinking- it had been tamed. The colour 

 of this lizard {Monitor Gouldii) is a dull bluish 

 g-reen, spotted and varieg-ated with yellow. It is 

 much esteemed as food, and the skin is used for 

 covering- the wariii) or Ncav Guinea drum. 



Dec. 1th. — In the morning- a canoe, with seven 



