A Collecting Trip on the Abary. 371 
back, and as the winding of the creek allowed of the 
" nigger-heads" alone being approached with the chance 
of getting close to them, the attempt was made, and 
three large specimens fell to the guns. The " nigger- 
heads," as they are termed, are smaller than the negro- 
cops ; they are of a prevailing white or cream colour, 
with rich bluish bronze-green quills in their wings and 
tail ; the head and the upper part of the neck are bare 
of feathers in the adult and are covered with loose thin 
scales on a black ground ; the bill and feet are black, 
and the former is thick, long and slightly curved towards 
the blunt tip. A fine maroodie (Penelope spj was shot 
soon after ; and a camp was made at the first suitable 
place to allow of the specimens being more conveniently 
skinned. As the place was surrounded by high grass, a 
fire was set to it to make a clear space, and soon after 
all hands were called upon to beat down the flames lest 
it should take over the camp and all even against the 
high wind The grass was dense and high, and the fire 
burned with fury. Late at night, the sight was really won- 
derfully grand. Away in the distance, a sheet of flame 
seemed to spread for miles, every now and then leaping 
up, into the sky as it were, as it caught some aeta palm 
or high mora tree, and blazed like a huge ball above the 
horizon of flame below. 
The next morning (Thursday), as we started, a dense 
mist lay over the creek, and hung over till long after the 
sun had risen. Soon after starting, a place called Coupmans 
was passed, where there is the remnant of a benab at 
the site of a track leading into the forest on the Ballata 
grants. A splendid clump of bamboos grows at this 
place, the stems being nearly as tall as the surrounding 
3A 
