Menage Expedition to the Philippines 163 



we should get it you had better send it to the ''World's Fair." 

 1 think you would capture first prize. It is very doubtful if we 

 get him however, as he hides in caves and the natives are not 

 over anxious to crawl into dark holes to look for him. I cannot 

 honestly say that I blame them. 



Personally I do not fear the big snakes half so much as I do 

 the venomous ones. A beautiful specimen of a species, the bite 

 of which is said to be fatal in an hour or two, has just been 

 brought in. These creatures give us the crawls always, when we 

 get hold of them, and we are half afraid to go into the woods for 

 a week afterward, but soon grow indifferent again. I had 

 hoped there were none here, and was not so glad to see the 

 specimen as I ought to be from a strictly scientific point of view. 



We are glad to know that the Academy is pleased with the 

 big snakes already sent. They ought to make something of an 

 attraction when well mounted. I hope the first skin is in Min- 

 neapolis before this. 



;K :ic ;K :K ^I^ -!= * 



Yours very sincerely. 



Dean C. Worcester. 



IX. 



Manila, September i, 1892. 



We are once more in Manila unpacking, repacking, shipping 

 and generally preparing for another period of work in the ''prov- 

 inces." For the last two months, or since we wrote you last, we 

 have been at work in Cebu and Samar. When we wrote we were 

 very much in doubt as to the length of our stay here, but since 

 then we have received a letter from Mr. Menage, in which he in- 

 forms us that he has agreed to our proposition to extend the time 

 of the expedition for eight months. This is very gratifying to us 

 and we fully appreciate, as must the Academy also, the generosity 

 shown in thus enabling the expedition to complete the work. As 

 members of the Academy and of this expedition we feel that we 

 are very fortunate in having so liberal, public-spirited and staunch 

 a supporter as Mr. Menage. We hope and expect that the re- 

 sults of the work will fully justify the heavy outlay involved. 



Our work in Cebu resulted very satisfactorily. We succeeded 

 in reaching fairly good woods, and secured a good set of birds. 



