40G A NATUIiALIST'S WANDERINGS 



Lying in the very centre of the island, at a height of some 

 1900 feet above the sea, and surrounded by high liills — except 

 at one point, where, it is said, though I could not detect any- 

 thing to assure me of the- truth of the statement, that the 

 Wai Nipe runs out of it — it has much the appearance of 

 a lake filling up the crater of an old volcano, to which their 

 legend of its periodical troubling may have some reference. 

 The margins of the water were set with flags and shrubby 

 pandans, which gave shelter to thousands and thousands of 

 ducks (Dendrocygna guttata) — of which I secured a large 

 number — little Grebes (Podiceps), and Cormorants (Phaloera- 

 corax), and several species of AVater-hen (Porphyrio). ■ The 

 whole day was spent in skiniiing these birds, and putting up 

 the plants in drying paper. 



On the following day some of the women returning from 

 their fields brought mo a specimen of a Myzomela, which they 

 had taken with the gum of an Artocarjms tree, which delighted 

 me immensely, as no species of this genus was then known to 

 extend so far to the west. It turned out on examination to be 

 an undescribed species, which I have named Myzomela walco- 

 loensis. I asked them to show me where the specimen had 

 been obtained; but as it was in their gardens which are 

 tabooed to coast people, I would not persuade them to admit 

 me. On offering, however, a large reward for additional speci- 

 mens, several women set off back to their fields, whence in the 

 afternoon they returned with a quite number all fluttering on 

 a string ; most of them had lost their tails and were entirely 

 smeared with gum, a few only being at all presentable. 

 Among these true scarlet Myzomelas was an immature Nec- 

 tarine bird in a wretched condition, with the basal portion of 

 its beak greenish-yellow and the rest black, which is pro- 

 bably also another and unknown species of Myzomela. By 

 working continuously right through the night till sunrise, 

 the ^\hole of the skins wore ready for transport, as well as 

 nearly a hundred species of plants. 



When the coolies were mustered to shoulder the baggage 

 only two or three put in an appearance, the rest had de- 

 serted, and only after impressing into our service some of 

 the women did we manage to start with the food necessary for 

 the journey. It was not with the most amiable feelings towards 



