126



Sydney Porter—Notes on Birds of Fiji



In recent years certain parts of the Royal Parks have been set

aside for Sanctuaries, where the birds are able to nest without

disturbance, and it has been noticed that there is a very great increase

in the number of bird visitors to the Parks. All the year round we have

the Common Black-headed Gull. Other visitors include : Kingfisher,

Green Woodpecker, Landrail, Snipe, Woodcock, Red-throated Diver,

Great Crested Grebe, Scaup Duck, Smew Duck, Goosanders, Golden¬

eye Duck, Red-breasted Mergansers.


In the Island Sanctuary I heard the Cuckoo in 1932. I had never

heard this bird in London before.



NOTES ON BIRDS OF FIJI


By Sydney Porter

(Continued from p. 104 )


The Ngau Island Parrakeet (Pyrrhulopsis tabuensis atrigularis)


One day when in Suva a gentleman who was staying at the same

hotel, and who knew that I was keen to get the Parrakeets from the

various islands, informed me as we were sitting at dinner that he had

seen a “ black” Parrot on one of the tiny native trading cutters which

were tied up to the wharf. I knew that this must be one of the dark

species from Ngau, Koro, Vanua Levu, or Taveuni. Needless to say

the meal was a hurried one, and we got down to the wharf only to find

that the boat had gone. My friend’s Fijian was very meagre, but by

inquiring from the natives on the other small craft we found that the

boat we were looking for was anchored far out in the bay and her name

was, as far as my friend could make out, the Yea Yea Levu and that

she was sailing for the island of Ngau (pronounced “ Now ”) at 6 o’clock

the next morning. No one knew whether she had a Parrot on board:

there was no boat to go out to her so apparently our quest ended,

but I didn’t like to be beaten as easily as that. So I rushed up to the

person’s house who had been acting as my agent and who, being born

in Fiji, could speak the language like a native. Being a trader and

exporter, he knew all the native trading craft by name, but had never

heard of the Yea Yea Levu —-which, by the way, means the proud or



