CHAP, ss.] A.Y eSfTELCOME OLDEST. 



207 



was now explained. A pjtlion had climbed np one of the 

 posts of the houso, and had made liis way under the thatch 

 within a yard of my head, and taken up a comfortable 

 position in the roof — aod I hLid slept soundly all night 

 directly under him. 



I called to my two boys who were skinning hirda below 

 and said, " Here's a big snake in the roof but as soon 

 as I had shown it to them they mshed out of the house 

 and hefTged me to come out directly. Finding they 

 were too much afraid to do anything, we called some of 

 the labourers in the plantation, and soon had half a 

 dozen men in consultation outside. One of these, a native 

 of Bourn, where there are a great many snakes, said he 

 would get him out, and i>roceeded to work in a business- 

 like manner. He made a strong noose of rattan, and 

 with a long pole in the other hand poked at the snake, 

 who then began slowly to uncoil itself lie then man- 

 aged to slip the noose over its head, and getting it well 

 ou to the body, dragged the aninial down. There was a 

 great scuffle as tlie snake coiled round the chaii-s and 

 posts to resist his enemy, but at length the man caught 

 hold of its tail, rushed out of the house (running so 

 quick that the creature seemed quite conformded), and 

 tried to strike its head against a tree. He missed however, 

 and let go, and the snake got under a dead trunk close by. 

 It was a*Tain poked out, and again the Bnuru man caTight 

 hold of its tail, and running away quickly dashed its head 

 with a swing against a tree, and it was then easily killed 

 with a hatchet. It was about twelve feet long and very 

 thick, capable of doing much mischief and of swallowing 

 a dog or a child. 



I did not get a great many birds here. The uiost re- 

 markable were the fine crimson lory, Ko?? mhni — a Itrusli- 

 tongued parroquet of a vivid crimson colour, which was 

 very abundazit. I^arge flocks of tliem came about the 

 plant-atlon, and formed a magnificent object when they 

 settled do\TO npou some fiowering tree, on the nectar of 

 which lories feed. I also obtained one or two specimens 

 of the fine racquet-tailed kingfisher of Amboyna, Tany- 

 eiptera nais, one of the most siugxilar and beautiful of that 

 beautiful family. These birds diller from all other king- 



