Chap, xviii.] DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 413 



The most remarkable fact about the Admiralty islanders is 

 that of their having no bows and arrows, slings, throwing sticks, 

 or throwing cords for their spears, no ulas, clubs, spears for 

 hand-to-hand fighting, and no shields. Many other Melane- 

 sians have no bows and arrows, as the New Caledonian Loyalty 

 Islanders, and apparently the New Britain and New Ireland 

 races, and the same is the case with the natives of the south- 

 east of New Guinea ; bows and arrows seeming to commence 

 on the coast only at Humboldt Bay, but all seem to have slings 

 or other additional means of defence. 



The only domestic animals possessed by the natives of the 

 Admiralty Islands in any abundance are pigs. These are 

 partly kept in enclosures around the houses, partly run half 

 wild over the inhabited^islands. The pigs are small, lean, and 

 black coloured, and appear never to develop large tusks. No 

 ornaments of large pigs' tusks were seen in the possession of 

 the natives. If therefore, as I believe, from signs made by the 

 natives, is the case, there are wild pigs on the main island of 

 the group, they must be unlike the Papuan pigs in this respect, 

 and resemble more the New Hebrides breeds. Two Dogs 

 were seen on Wild Island. The one which I saw was a 

 puppy. It was white, smooth haired, like a Fox Terrier in 

 appearance, and very like a dog that was in the possession 

 of the natives at Humboldt Bay. No dogs but these two were 

 seen amongst the natives. No Rats were seen on any of the 

 islands. No Fowls were seen in the possession of the natives, 

 but I obtained a plume of cock's feathers worn as a head-dress 

 from one native. Fowls must therefore exist in the islands 

 somewhere, but are probably scarce, as only this one plume 

 was seen. 



With regard to the Zoology of the islands, two species of 

 Fruit-Bats {Pteropince), and an Opossum {Cicscus), were pro- 

 cured. A Dugong and a Dolphin are also killed by the natives. 

 Of birds the most abundant are the Fruit-Pigeons (Carpophaga 

 rhodinolcema), which feed upon the Wild Coffee and Nutmegs, 

 and roost in vast numbers upon one of the small outlying 

 islands. We saw or procured about 28 other species of birds, 

 including two Eagles, a Lory, and a Kingfisher, many of which 

 appear nearly allied to, or identical with those of the Echiquier 

 Islands. They have been described by Mr. P. L. Sclater, 

 F.R.S., who finds several new species amongst them.* 



Small Tree-Swifts {Collocalia) fly about amongst the Cocoa- 

 nut-trees, and all day flocks of Terns and Noddies {Sterna 

 iunata, Anous), follow in the still waters within the reefs the 



* P. L. Sclater, "On the Birds of the Admiralty Islands," Proc. Zool. 

 Soc, June 19th, 1877. 



