Page:Condor8(3).djvu/12

 70 I VoL. VIII Papers on Philippine Birds II. The Routine of a Collector's Work BY RICHARD C. MCGREGOR HE routine of collecting in the Philippine Islands is necessarily somewhat different from that pursued in more' temperate climates. Aside front the effects of the greater humidity and the continuous heat there are many con- ditionsvery different from those familiar to the American collector. I have thought that an account of some of these might be of interest to my California friends. Collecting in any part of the Philippines, except near the larger towns, means camping minus the dirt and discomfort of a tent. Even on the smallest island, provided there is drinkable water present, the collector is able to find a house ad- mirably suited to his needs, cool in hot weather, dry during the rains, and always to be preferred to a tent owing to'the elevation of its floor. Even if the collector pushes into the mountains of the larger islands, away from the towns, a house can be constructed in a very short time. The framework of the native-built house is fashioned from the bamboo, or where that is lacking small trees are utilized. Spikes and nails are not needed as rattan or other vines serve to tie the framework to- gether. A thick thatch of "cogon" grass or leaves of the nipa palm makes the house perfectly waterproof. Cooking gear and provisions must be taken from Manila since practically nothing can be purchased in such localities as the collector cares to visit. Except in Manila, Iloilo, Cebu, Zamboango, and a few other large cities no bread is made that a white man cares to eat and the natives who serve as camp-cooks know very little about making it. Potatoes are seldom worth the trouble of carrying into the field and none can be had away from markets. In a few localities the natives raise very good camotes or sweet potatoes; in Mindoro I found them particularly fine. Rice takes the place of bread and potatoes with the islanders and I have . found it convenient to use rice in the same way. Some fresh provisions can be purchased in most islands. Bananas can be bought at from five to fifteen cents per bunch and more rarely pineapples at from two to three cents each fresh cocoanuts for the asking. The inhabitants of coast towns fish more or less and a considerable supply is often available. As we carry a seine we get river fish by our own efforts wherever they occur. Fresh meat, in the shape of chickens, is very scarce and usually quite out of the question. Filipinos will often trade when they will not sell. A supply of needles, thread, tools, quinine, and colored beads'is always a safe addition to make when outfit- ting, as in barter these articles usualIy bring double their cost and go much better than cash. The people living in the smaller isolated islands are pitifully poor and are ill equipped with the tools and household utensils which we look upon as necessities. On my trip to Calayan Island I carried an ordinary hand saw costing a dollar in Manila; this I sold to a fellow for two dollars and within an hour he had sold it for two and a half. If I remember rightly this was the only saw in Calayan. To the fortunat possessor of a gun, the woods and marshes yield a sure sup- ply of game. When collecting there is no time for serious hunting, but some or all of the followiug birds may be killed on any of the islands with a little effort: hornbills, pigeons, megapodes, chickens, parrots, ducks, plover, snipe and rail. On the larger islands an occasional deer or wild hog adds variety to the bill of fare. As for clothing I have found the following rig satisfa. ctory: a light-colored cloth hat, a light, loose, sleeveless shooting coat, a blue flannel shirt, kahki panta-