CHAP. XXX.] PROGRESS OF MY COLLECTIONS. 203 



their inner whorls ruthlessly broken away to fit them for 

 their ignoble use. 



My collections, however, got on but slowly, owing to 

 the unexpectedly bad weather, violent winds with heavy 

 showers having been so continuous as only to give me four 

 good collecting days out of the first sixteen I spent here. 

 Yet enough had been collected to show me that with time 

 and fine weather I might expect to do something good. 

 From the natives I obtained some very fine insects and a 

 few pretty land-shells ; and of the small number of birds 

 yet shot more than half were known New Guinea species, 

 and therefore certainly rare in European collections, while 

 the remainder were probably new. In one respect my 

 hopes seemed doomed to be disappointed. I had antici- 

 pated the pleasure of myself preparing fine specimens of 

 the Birds of Paradise, but I now learnt that they are all at 

 this season out of plumage, and that it is in September 

 and October that they have the long plumes of yellow 

 silky feathers in full perfection. As all the praus return 

 in July, I should not be able to spend that season in Aru 

 without remaining another whole year, which was out of 

 the question. I was informed, however, that the small reii 

 species, the " King Bird of Paradise," retains its plumage 

 at all seasons, and this I might therefore hope to get. 



As I became familiar with the forest scenery of the 

 island, I perceived it to possess some characteristic features 



