ILEARNING TO NAVIGATE si 



on coming ashore. It took them five weeks getting 

 up the river thirty-five miles. 



However, these troubles notwithstanding, I kept on 

 with my work, my chief anxiety being that the rush 

 of diggers to the South Sea Islands consequent upon 

 the discoveries of gold would bring so much population 

 that there would be an end of any chance of collecting 

 in virgin territory. 



At this time I began to take Natural History notes 

 with some degree of method, communicating them 

 by letters to the Tring Museum from my various 

 camps : usually I sent to Dr. Jordan my notes on the 

 habits of insects, to Dr. Hartert my notes on the 

 habits of birds. 



The most interesting notes I made at Goodenough 

 Island were : that the natives were very lazy as 

 collectors, differing in that from the people of the 

 Trobriands and of Fergusson Island, who had been 

 very keen on sending us in specimens. The Paradisea 

 decora does not occur there. I believe it only occurs 

 at Nadi (Mt. Edgwaba), and Mt. Kilherran on the 

 north of Fergusson Island. The Goodenough Island 

 natives call it by another name and only know it by 

 seeing other natives wearing its plumage in their 

 armlets. 



I found at Goodenough Island nine good specimens 

 of the very rare Pitta finchi, and eight of a new 

 species of Frogmouth, described by Dr. Hartert as 

 Podargus intermedius. The male differs slightly from 



