INLAND NEW GUINEA 127 



bringing several species of butterflies which I had 

 never seen, but of which I had had descriptions. I 

 decided therefore to make another expedition to this 

 locality later on. But meanwhile I went to Port 

 Moresby and sent my collections away. 



At that time there was a bad outbreak of measles 

 along the coast. Measles, when first introduced into 

 savage countries, is almost as deadly as small-pox 

 would be amongst Europeans. I got my collectors 

 away from the coast apparently all right, but by the 

 time I got them up to Okuma one case of measles 

 developed among the collecting boys. I made the 

 patient as comfortable as I could, and left him 

 camped there and pushed on with the rest of my 

 carriers beyond Bwoidunna. The elevation there 

 was great, and the weather at the time, which was 

 the end of May, was bitterly cold. I pitched camp 

 and soon got a very fine collection indeed. 



Regarding birds, I obtained a bird which had been 

 reported to me as to be found in the locality and 

 called Weiske's nightjar. From the first I thought 

 that it could not be a true nightjar or I should have 

 got it before, as the ordinary nightjar (Caprimulgus 

 macrurus) is the easiest of all night-birds to get. 

 When I got a specimen I think my doubts were 

 justified. This bird camps about four feet off the 

 ground and makes a nest of small twigs similar to 

 that of a Podargus, and seems, therefore, not to be 

 a true nightjar. They range in colour from bright 



