PRODUCTIONS OF THE ISLAND. 39 



in the present instance of a larg'e extent of jung-le^ 

 with trees often of great size, and a dense growth 

 of underwood. 



Among the natural productions of the island I 

 may first allude to the larg-e thickets of bamboo 

 scattered along- the base of the hill as the first new 

 feature in the veg-etation, and secondly, to the small 

 Eucalypti g-rowing- between the hill and the brushes, 

 as this is the most northerly limit of that Australian 

 genus known to me. Among the trees of the 

 brushes I may mention the Anacardium, or cashew 

 nut; with large red acrid fruit, Mimusops Kauhii, 

 often attaining a great size, and a species of Bombax, 

 or sUk-cotton tree, from the trunk of one of which the 

 canoe we saw upon the beach was being constructed. 



Of birds the Australian quail, Torres Strait pigeon, 

 and brown dove were plentiftil, and afforded good 

 sport to the shooters ; Pitta strepitans (a handsome 

 thrush-hke bird of gaudy colours — red, green, blue 

 and black) was heard caUing in every brush and 

 thicket. Several large lizards were seen; one of 

 these, about four feet in length, perched upon the 

 fence of one of the deserted huts, at first took so 

 little notice of my approach that I refrained from 

 shooting it, thinking it had been tamed. The colour 

 of this lizard {Monitor Gouldii) is a dull bluish 

 green, spotted and variegated with yellow. It is 

 much esteemed as food, and the skin is used for 

 covering the wari'ip or New Guinea drum. 



Dec. 7 th. — In the morning a canoe, with seven 



