CHAP. XXV.] A FOREST DESERT. 85 



many others which I saw only once, and did not capture, 

 causing me to regret tliat there was no village in these 

 interior valleys where I could stay a month. In the early 

 part of each morning I went out with my gun in search of 

 birds, and two of my men were out almost all day after 

 deer ; hut we were all equally unsuccessful, getting abso- 

 lutely nothing the whole time we were in the forest. 

 The only good bird seen was the fine Amboyna lory, but 

 these were always too high to shoot ; besides this, the 

 great Moluccan hornbill, which I did not want, was 

 almost the only bird met with. I saw not a single ground- 

 thrush, or kingfisher, or pigeon; and, in fact, have never 

 been in a forest so utterly desert of animal life as this 

 appeared to be. Even in all other groups of insects, 

 except butterflies, there was the same jDoverty. I had 

 hoped to find some rare tiger beetles, as I had done in 

 similar situations in Celebes ; but, though I searched 

 closely in forest, river-bed, and mountain-brook, I couhl 

 find nothing but the two common Amboyna species. 

 Other beetles there were absolutely none. 



The constant walking in water, and over rocks and 

 pebbles, quite destroyed the two pair of shoes I brought 

 with me, so that, on my return, they actually fell to 

 pieces, and the last day I had to walk in my stockings 

 very painfully, and reached home quite lame. On our 

 way back from Makariki, as on our way there, we had 



