232 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



the end of the line a piece of wood about six inches 

 long was tied crossways ; and to each end of this 

 a black feather-fly of large proportions was tied. 

 These two flies, not to mention the piece of wood 

 to which they were attached, seemed quite enough 

 to scare away any fish, but for all that we saw many 

 small fish of about half-a-pound weight taken by 

 these means. 



Wishing to know the regulations with regard to 

 shooting on the island, Dr. Macdonald and I visited 

 the vice-consul. During our conversation with 

 him we learnt that he had been many years in 

 the Samoan Islands, and as I was most anxious 

 to see a living example of the tooth-billed pigeon,* 

 or " manu mea," as it is called by the natives, 

 I closely questioned the consul about it. He told 

 us that it was not uncommon in some parts of the 

 interior of the island where it appears to live in 

 colonies. The nearest place where he knew it 

 could be found was, however, a two days' journey 

 from Apia, and as we were only to stay at the 

 island for three days an expedition thither was out 

 of the question. I asked him if he could at once 

 send a native to get a living example ; he promised 

 to do so, but the man did not return before our 

 departure. 



The following morning I went for a long walk 

 on the sea-shore, returning by a path through 

 the cultivated land. The sandy beach swarmed 



* Didunculus strigirostria. 



