532 Dr. O. Finsch's Ornithological 



EuPLocAMus viEiLLOTi. The Fire-backed Pheasant. 



A magnificent bird, common in Perak, particularly towards 

 the north. While at Kwala Kangsar, I had them frequently- 

 brought in by the Malays, and kept several, both males and 

 females, in my aviary for several months. 



They did well in captivity, becoming tame, and feeding on 

 boiled rice, plantains, jack-fruit, and Indian corn. 

 [To be continued.] 



XLI. — Ornithological Letters from the Pacific. — VIII. Neio 

 Britain. By Otto Finsch, Ph.D., C.M.Z.S., &c. 



The discovery of novelties by explorers must depend chiefly 

 on what is already known of the country proposed to be ex- 

 plored. The traveller who has the good fortune to be the first 

 in a new country will easily find new species. I visited a good 

 many islands in the South Seas, of which the avifaunse were 

 little, if at all, known ; but they were very poor, and yielded 

 little more than sea-birds and widely distributed species. 

 When I came to such a promising country as New Britain, 

 I arrived too late. I do not complain ; for the personality of 

 the discoverer is immaterial to science, and the name of the 

 Rev. George Brown will be known for ever as that of the first 

 explorer of New Britain, New Ireland, and especially the 

 Duke-of-York group, where, under his superintendence, the 

 mission has existed since 1875. From the influence result- 

 ing from his post, and from the means he had to depend on, 

 it was moreover easier for him than for any body else 

 to make extensive collections. He had a lot of teachers 

 at his command to collect for him on different spots in the 

 country, and was himself able to visit the difl'erent stations, 

 for which purpose a small steamer was provided. Thus mission 

 work and collecting specimens were easily combined. Before 

 Mr. Brown came, I believe, not more than a dozen birds were 

 known from these islands. These were discovered by the 

 French naturalists, and were chiefly from New Ireland. In 

 accordance with^this condition of things it was not surprising 



