KINA BALU. 
121 
nebulous matter was beautifully illustrated by the clouds at the base of Kina Balu. “ A hazy 
point barely perceptible—a little wreath of mist, increasing in volume and becoming darker 
and denser, until it obscures a bare portion of the heavens. It throws itself into fantastic 
shapes, gathers glory from the sun, is borne onward by the wind; and perhaps as it gradually 
came, it gradually disappears.” Thus were the clouds being formed on the sides and 
amongst the ravines of Kina Balu, where, before mid-day, they had grown, spread, and 
enveloped the whole of this mighty mountain. 
6th.—I have four specimens of a beautiful green-coloured bird to-day, Psarisomus 
psittacinus; though not new, it is the first time the bird has been recorded from Borneo. 
The plumage of this Boatbill is bright emerald-green on the back and breast, the chin is 
yellow, head black and separated from the back by a white collar of silky feathers, the tail 
being long and bright blue. The bill in this family (the Ewrylcemidce) is nearly always a 
wonderful piece of colouring; in some species of a delicate turquoise-blue, in Psarisomus it 
is all shades of bright green and yellow, but becomes black shortly after death, when the 
beauty of the bird is thus somewhat spoilt. 
Five Dusuns arrived just before dark in the usual downpour, for though I have not 
troubled the reader with daily accounts of the rainfall, the weather has been no better. The 
Dusuns brought with them a quantity of damar, some bamboo-joints, a few strips of rattan, 
and some dried palm-leaves. They were busy until dark making torches, which they did 
by pounding the resin and filling up the bamboo-joints with the powder, first inserting a 
wick of dried palm-leaves; after satisfying themselves that these torches would burn freely— 
some making two each—they proceeded to split the rattans and cut them into lengths of 
four feet. After all their preparations were complete they sat down and waited patiently 
until it was pitch dark—some searching for the empty meat-tins about the camp, for which 
they gave us a few vegetables. About half-past seven they lit up their torches and com¬ 
menced a frog-hunt in the river : being interested in their movements, I followed these men 
some distance down stream. The frogs, or “ Bunong ” as these reptiles are called by the 
Dusuns, were to be found sitting on the rocks in the river, and remained perfectly still in 
the bright torchlight, when the Dusuns were able to secure them easily with their free 
hand. As each “ Bunong ” was secured he was threaded through the middle on the strip 
of rattan, until the length was filled ; then another was ready. These men would arrive in 
Melangkap at daylight on the morrow, and with luck they would have several yards of 
threaded “ Bunongs ” all alive and kicking. The wretched frogs, after this most unpleasant 
treatment, are cleaned and boiled, and much relished by the Dusuns. What a scarcity of 
food! To think that these men would travel the whole night down the break-neck course of 
the Panataran in search of a few meals off frogs! I made several Bunong-hunts after this 
with the aid of candles, and secured several species of these reptiles: one species, Ixalus 
lalopalmatus, sp. nov., is especially interesting; the feet being provided with large discs, 
with which it adheres firmly to the rocks. This frog frequents the rocks in the rushing 
waters of the river; the foot being highly developed, it is able to fix itself firmly to 
the rocks without danger of being Avashed away. Another neAv species thus collected 
was a very long-legged frog ( Bana whiteheadi ): some small reddish-coloured toads, JBufo 
leptopus’, these the Dusuns avoided, saying that they Avere poisonous. The Dusun, I 
