286 PYGMIES AND PAPUANS 



conspicuous bird about the base camp, where its harsh 

 cry could be heard all through the hot hours of the day. 

 The huts and storehouses were infested by myriads of 

 black crickets, which take the place of the cockroaches 

 found in other countries and commit fearful havoc 

 among stores and personal possessions. The constant 

 packing up of goods to send up river drove thousands of 

 these insects to seek shelter in other parts of the camp, 

 and, at such times. Kingfishers became very tame and 

 darted in and out among the buildings, taking advantage 

 of the feast thus afforded. Mr. Claude Grant shot a 

 single specimen of the lovely Kingfisher H. nigrocyanea 

 the only one obtained. It has the crown, wings, upper 

 tail-coverts, tail, and breast dark ultramarine blue, the 

 rump cobalt-blue, the throat and a band across the 

 breast pure white, and the remainder of the plumage 

 black. Another species met with at the base camp was 

 H. macleayi with purple head, wings and tail, verditer- 

 blue back, white lores, collar and under-parts, and 

 cinnamon flanks. Only one example of this fine bird was 

 procured. Others were the dark purplish-blue and 

 chestnut Alcyone lessoni, about the size of our Common 

 Kingfisher and the much smaller A. pusilla similarly 

 coloured above, but with the under-parts pure white. 



Ceyx solitaria, a closely allied species, with purple 

 spangled upper-parts and cinnamon-j^ellow under-parts 

 was also found on the Mimika and Mr. Goodfellow was 

 surprised to find this diminutive species which he had 

 believed to be exclusively a fish-eater, greedily devouring 

 a canary-coloured May-fly which swarmed on the waters 

 of the Mimika during April and May. 



On the river a few specimens of the large " Jackass " 

 Kingfisher (Dacelo intermedia) were obtained, but the 

 species was by no means common. The most conspicuous 

 bird was Gaudichaud's Kingfisher (Sauromarptis gaudi- 

 chaudi) and its loud grating call might be heard in all 



