PRODUCTIONS OF THE ISLAND. 39 



ill the present instance of a larg'e extent of jungle^ 

 with trees often of g'reat size^ and a dense gTowth 

 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 

 Eucaly2)ti 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 Ariacardium, or cashew 

 nut, with larg'e red acrid fruit, Mimiisops Kaukii, 

 often attaining' a g'reat size, and a species of Bomhax, 

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

 canoe we saAv 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 stre]ntans (a handsome 

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

 and black) was heard calhng- in every brush and 

 thicket. Several larg-e lizards w^re seenj one of 

 these, about four feet in length, perched upon the 

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

 little 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 wavdp or New Guinea drum. 



Dec. 7 th. — -In the morning- a canoe, with seven 



