Page:Condor8(3).djvu/14

72 THE CONDOR I VoL. VIII fences during moonlight nights and it is often worth while to hunt for them at such times. In Calayan I found another owl (2Vinox) perched on drift logs along the beach both night and morning. This afforded an unusually good chance to collect them, as the birds, once killed, were easily found on the beach sand. Shore and marsh birds are to be found in the localities usually inhabited by these classes, but as few of them are of particular interest we may speak of the birds of the forest. It is in the forest that rare ?pecies are to be found. An experienced collector begins his work by locating the flowering trees and watching them for birds. One of the most productive trees in this connection is the "dap-dap," which during the first three months of the year is covered with large scarlet flowers and these are rendered very conspicuous by the absence of the leaves which come out only after the flowers have fallen. This tree is a great favorite with many species of birds, so that with one or two small boys to retrieve specimens the collector has only to pick off the species he wishes. Parrots, fruit- thrushes, starlings, sun-birds, creepers, and flower-peckers are among the com- pany of birds frequenting the flowering "dap-dap:" but if a number of crows begin feeding in one of these trees, few other birds will go near it. When the "dap-dap" season is over one must look for other flower trees. The wild fig trees, of which there are a number of species, attract many birds and certain species of birds are sure to be found about the guava bushes when their yellow fruit is ripe. The very rarest birds, however, do not come to the fruit and flower trees and are to be found only thru a knowledge of their specific habits and by persistent search thru the woods. An auxiliary barrel is not needed in routine collecting. It is, however, a very useful thing for certain small ground birds and for collecting sun-birds and flower- peckers when these birds are feeding at small flowering shrubs. At times a favor- able tree or vine is found in blossom where one may sit down and kill a basketful of small birds with the auxiliary. I first observed the beautiful flower-peckers, Dic?eum xanthopy?iurn and D. retrocincture, feeding at blossoms so high that it took a good load of number x2 shot to bring a bird down. Later I collected them at a fig tree where many were easily taken with a .32 auxiliary. For most of our col- lecting we load a x2 gage shell with 2 drams of black powder and ? ounce of number x2 shot. Factory-loaded paper shells can be used if they are put up Jn tins in small lots, say 500, and opened only as needed. If exposed to the air for several months the wads swell and 'render the shells useless. It is but fair to say a word as to the assistance received from the natives of the Philippines. In the first place we should remember the houses, already men- tioned, which save the naturalist the trouble of living in a tent. These are often built away from towns and in localities favorable to the collector's work. Another important help is the numerous paths,cut thru brush and jungle,traversing the land in all directions. Without these paths it would be difficult to penetrate the undergrowth for even a short distance from the beach. The natives occasionally assist directly by the capture of birds and many rarities have come to light in this way. The only known specimen of Callsops periopthalmica was killed by a Filipino collector near Manila; the only specimen of the petrel family known from the Islands was caught by. a native boy; the type and unique speci-' men of Turnin: worcesteri was taken by native netters near Manila; Turnix while- headi is known only from market specimens,and so ?vith many other species. Natives have been employed as regular collectors by most recent naturalists and they are very satisfactory workers provided they are with a white man. They