chap, xvn.] BIRDS AND INSECTS. 409 



important for them to finish owing to the early rains, that 

 I could get no one to shoot for me. 



During the three weeks that I stayed at Panghu it 

 rained nearly every day, either in the afternoon only, or 

 all day long ; but there were generally a few hours' sun- 

 shine in the morning, and I took advantage of these to 

 explore the roads and paths, the rocks and ravines, in 

 search of insects. These were not very abundant, yet I 

 saw enough to convince me that the locality was a good 

 one, had I been there at the beginning instead of at the 

 end of the dry season. The natives brought me daily a 

 few insects obtained at the Sagueir palms, including some 

 fine Cetonias and stag-beetles. Two little boys were very 

 expert with the blowpipe, and brought me a good many 

 small birds, which they shot with pellets of clay. Among 

 these was a pretty little flower-pecker of a .new species 

 (Prionochilus aureolimbatus), and several of the loveliest 

 honeysuckers I had yet seen. My general collection of 

 birds was, however, almost at a standstill ; for though I at 

 length obtained a man to shoot for me, he was not good 

 for much, and seldom brought me more than one bird a. 

 clay. The best thing he shot was the large and rare fruit- 

 pigeon peculiar to Northern Celebes (Carpophaga forsteni), 

 which I had long been seeking after. 



I was myself very successful in one beautiful group 

 of insects, the tiger-beetles, which seem more abundant 



