220 S. Porter—Wanderings in the Far East


and which we saw searching for insects on the dead limbs of a tall

forest tree.


Swifts are very common in the Philippines, but the only ones we

saw appeared to be Whitehead’s Swift (Collocalia whiteheadi), a very

small species which flies around in the early mornings at an incredible

speed. The only other birds of interest which we saw were the Asiatic

Harrier [Circus spilonotus) which is very common around Manila, and

the Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus intermedins ) commonly seen

about the wharves on the lookout for any scraps thrown overboard

from the ships. Two more birds commonly seen in the vicinity of the

docks are the Eastern Black-headed Gull [Lams ridihundus sihiricus)

and Swinhoe’s Whiskered Tern ( Chlidonias ).


After a short stay in the Philippines I returned to Singapore—

what a relief to get back to that verdant island and its busy city life.


Upon my arrival I found a note asking me to visit a person in

Johore, the native state at the extremity of the Malay Peninsula,

so I collected up all my baggage, which by this , time had reached

alarming proportions, and my birds, hired a motor lorry, and departed

thence.


What a relief it was to get to this apparent sylvan paradise far away

in Johore. Here cut out of a rubber forest was a garden planted with

hibiscus, orchids, gardenias, and a hundred other varieties of fragrant

tropical flowers, with palms and gorgeous tropical creepers, little

streams with brilliant tropical fish which darted about in the sunlit

waters like animated jewels, and an atmosphere of what appeared to

be peace and rest that I have seldom found elsewhere, though I was

to be disillusioned later. How easy, I imagined at the time, would it

be to dream one’s life away in such a tropical haven of delight, but, alas,

all Edens seem to have their serpents !


My birds, travel-stained and weary after the hardships of the

journeyings in China and Manchuria, responded to the warmth and

sunshine like wilting flowers and in a few weeks most of them had

improved almost beyond recognition.


Once or twice a week I went into Singapore to do some shopping

and visit the bird shops. This latter was a never-ending source of

interest as there was usually something new and interesting to be



