Ch. XL] BIEDS OF THE JUNGLE. 167 



island of Daat has been cleared of by far the greater portion 

 of its jungle for the purpose of transforming it into a cocoa- 

 nut plantation, and only a smaU comer of it is left in a state 

 of nature, there- can be little doubt that the Kahau still 

 haunts it. I was unable to get a sight of it, owing to the 

 ^ dense and impenetrable nature of the thicket; but when 

 watching, gun in hand, in the midst of the jungle, I was not 

 unwilling to attribute a loud moaning sound, which was fre- 

 quently repeated, and evidently by some large animal, to 

 that of which I was in quest. 



The birds of Labuan are numerous and interesting, though 

 for the most part small ; but as I was unable to pay special 

 attention to them I wiU merely allude to them. The largest 

 are an osprey, a large crow or raven, and the hornbiQs. 

 Besides these there are numerous beautiful pigeons, and a 

 variety of little Cinnyridse (sun-birds), flitting about like so 

 many butterflies. In this month (August), when the woods 

 of England are perfectly silent, several birds were singing in 

 Labuan. The commonest of these was a pied bird, as large 

 as a starling, which sang cheerfully in open places. Another 

 bird, only heard in the jungle, had a singular note with 

 intervals wider than usually occur in bird-music ; so that it 

 was long before I could persuade myself that this sound was 

 not produced by a man whistling in the jungle. At length 

 I heard two or three answering one another, and was satis- 

 fied that I was listening to a bird : but „ . 



o ' Adagio. 



I could never catch a sight of it ia the 



shades of the forest. Another could be 



often heard in the depth of the jungle uttering a loud and 



deep note, like boo, boo, boo, frequently repeated ; but I 



never could get a view of the bird, or hear it otherwise than 



at a distance. * 



^^ 



