290 Mr. E. L. C. Layard’s Notes of a 
their natural fear of mankind, and trust themselves almost 
within his grasp—how they are taught their various devices 
for attracting man’s attention and leading him to the spots 
where the bees have made their nests, are questions which, 
perpetually discussed amongst those who, although not scien- 
tific naturalists, have spent their lives observing nature, can 
never be answered or explained. 
XXVIII.—Notes of a Collecting-trip in the New Hebrides, 
the Solomon Islands, New Britain, and the Duke-of-York 
Islands. By HE. L. C. Layvarp. With Remarks by HE. UL. 
Layarp, F.Z.S. &c. 
At the close of last year I was asked by Lieut. Richards, R.N., 
commanding H.M.S. ‘ Renard,’ if I would like to go with him 
to the above-named islands, if, as was probable, he should be 
ordered there. Ofcourse I would. I had seen the illustrations 
of the Rev. G. Brown’s birds in the ‘P. Z. S.,’ and longed 
to see the birds themselves. In the beginning of last April I 
received a letter from Lieut. Richards, dated in Sydney, and 
saying he would very shortly arrive in Noumea and I must 
be ready. The first thing was to take my favourite collecting- 
gun to the French Government armoury and have the locks 
thoroughly overhauled and oiled. Then came the loading of 
cartridges, and getting together scalpels, arsenical soap, Xc. ; 
and on the 19th April we left Noumea, under orders to meet the 
commodore in Blanche Bay, New Britain, on the 25th May. 
The weather was very bad, and all the small craft had run for 
shelter into various little sheltered bays. Something has 
gone wrong with the usual south-east wind this year. It was 
at least two months late, and when it did blow, only came in 
heavy fitful squalls, lasting for four or five days, then suc- 
ceeded by heavy rain and the north-west wind. It was con- 
tinually raming during the whole of my excursion, though 
it was supposed to be the healthy and dry season. This ab- 
normal weather had a curious effect upon the birds. They 
ought to have recovered from their moulting and have been in 
