BEGINNING AS A COLLECTOR 87 



were woven out of old vines. The eggs are of a pale 

 pink with dark red and brown marks, striped longi- 

 tudinally, as is the case with most eggs of Birds of 

 Paradise. 1 



At Cedar Bay I discovered a male specimen of 

 Charagia mirabilis, a new species of moth described 

 by Mr. Rothschild. The male of this species has a 

 strong, musk-like perfume. Another discovery made 

 by me here was of a very beautiful moth, the hind- 

 wings rose- pink in colour, the fore- wings fawn-coloured 

 with crimson spots bordered with white. 2 



We had some very good pig-shooting at this camp, 

 and also some good sport hunting for sharks and for 

 the dugong, that curious sea mammal which is said 

 to have given rise to the story of the mermaid, 

 because the female has breasts of a human type 

 and has the habit of raising the fore-part of her 

 body out of the water. But I have always failed to 

 mistake a dugong for a mermaid. 



The Australian natives are very fond of dugong 

 flesh, which much resembles that of the pig in flavour. 

 They hunt the animal industriously. They paddle 

 out to him, and while he is under water lance him 



1 These eggs of the Ptilorhis victories are among the most 

 beautiful eggs. One of those collected by Mr. Meek is figured in 

 the Tring Museum periodical called Novitates Zoologicce, on Plate 

 X, in Vol. XVII. E. H. 



2 This is a very beautiful and large Pyral, representing a new 

 species and new genus : Hypsidia erythropsalis, described by 

 Mr. Rothschild in Nov. Zool., p. 603 (1896). K. J. 



