SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I929 79 



and storage space, and for me a large room with electric lights, run- 

 ning water, tables and shelves, for use as a laboratory. 



I have found that in collecting in foreign countries and among 

 primitive people one of the first requisites is to court the friendship 

 of the natives. If one does not speak the language or dialect, he 

 should compile a small vocabulary of words and phrases to carry 

 around with him, such as, " I want," " Bring me," " Let us go 

 fishing," etc., and adding to these simple phrases the native name for 

 the various specimens that one is after. I have found that the fewer 

 words used, the better the natives understand, as they soon learn 

 that you are collecting the various classes of fauna indigenous to the 

 locality. One of my most useful collectors turned out to be the ex- 

 president of the non-Christian tribes of the island of Panay ; the 

 faithful old fellow came walking down to the wharf with two large 

 monitor lizards, hog-tied and hanging over his shoulders, just as 

 the expedition was leaving Iloilo on the steamer for Manila after the 

 eclipse. These were brought safely to the National Zoological Park 

 in Washington. A couple of pesos were thrown to him, and he was 

 all smiles as we sailed away. 



When we were settled, collecting started immediately. Daily hauls 

 of the 40-foot seine were made on the beach at various stages of the 

 tide. Natives were sent out with the smaller seine to the fish ponds 

 for specimens that could not be obtained elsewhere. I hunted daily 

 for reptiles but although the country appeared to be good collecting- 

 ground, few were obtained. After c^uestioning the natives, I found 

 that it was necessary to get up early in the morning an hour or so 

 before sunrise, and upon going over with a flashlight or lantern the 

 same ground that I had covered the previous day, I found numerous 

 snakes out foraging for their breakfast. Like the natives, they retire 

 during the heat of the day to the shade and dense thickets and can 

 not be found. 



Traps were set around the various barrios and in the swamps and 

 jungle for whatever we might get. Numerous giant lizards were 

 captured, as well as live pythons, birds, and moiikeys, and also a 

 number of civet jcats which were brought back alive to the States 

 for the National Zoological Park. Tow-net hauls were made at 

 various stages of the tide in the Iloilo Straits for both diatoms and 

 Crustacea. Several trips were made to the caves on the Island of 

 Guimaras, which produced good results in bats and land shells. 

 Collecting was carried on at Capiz on the northern end of the Island, 

 and also on the Island of Negros and Cebu. 

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