GG Messrs. J. J. Joicey and G. Talbot on 



allies in New Guinea and Jobi (Jappen), as far as is known 

 with regard to the latter island, is remarkable. The same 

 applies to the flora. Further, there are no paradise 

 birds, kangaroos, cassowaries, or hornbills, yet all these 

 are plentiful on Jobi, not thirty miles away. Yet the 

 Gour a victoriae (crown pigeon), which is a particularly 

 heavy bird and can fly only a very short distance, is quite 

 plentiful. This bird may, however, have been imported 

 from Humboldt Bay centuries ago when there was perhaps 

 communication with the more eastern districts. There 

 is ;i lighter strain in many of the natives and some even 

 have straight hair. This points to some past connection 

 with the natives of the islands at the other end (south-east) 

 of New Guinea. Were it not for the fact that Biak is 

 apparently new land, one might suppose that it belongs 

 to a former continent or great island. According to a 

 missionary, one part, a small mountain, shows signs of 

 being of very ancient formation ; this tallies with the 

 native folk-lore. 



" The formation of Biak is coral-limestone. There is 

 anchorage on the south coast at Mokmen, but I believe none 

 on the north. In places one can stand on the edge of the 

 coral reef at low tide and sound without finding any bottom 

 at sixty fathoms, as at Bosnek on the south-east corner. 



" The prevailing wind is, of course, the south-east. This 

 is a trade wind and really blows all the year round, but 

 what is known as the south-east monsoon blows from 

 April to September. Then the north-westerly squalls 

 begin. 



" The altitude is not greater than 200 or 300 feet except 

 in one part to the north, where a mountain runs up to 

 2000 feet. This, however, is not high enough to produce 

 mountain forms. 



" There are no swamps on the island, and behind Warido 

 on the west are undulating plains. Here, in patches of 

 secondary growth, most of the Delias were found. 



" One might stop a considerable time on Biak and get 

 very few Delias. Perhaps a few euphemia <$ <§ and, may 

 be, both sexes of multicolor if one happened to see the 

 jambosa tree in flower on the sea shore. To get Delias, 

 particularly the females, one must find the flowering trees 

 which they haunt, and wait patiently in the branches 

 during the sunny hours ; 4 p.m. is a good time for females. 

 During the great heat of the day most things are still 



