Valuable Paintings

of the Birds of Fiji

THANKS to the introduction of the mon goose, the minah and the bulbul—all from India many of the birds of Fiji have disappeared or are disappear ing—especially those which lived close to the ground on Viti Levu.

Because of this unhappy fact, the work that has been carried out during the past 20 or 30 years by Mr. W. J.

Belcher, now a resident of Navua, has great value. He has contrived, in the course of the years, to make an exact drawing! in watercolours of practically every Fijian bird that has been seen in the archipelago.

I visited Mr. Belcher’s place at Navua one week-end —he keeps the hotel there— and looked over his collection of coloured drawings, of which there are about 100.

The painting is extraordinarily good, and I am assured by those who have studied Fijian birds that the likenesses also are excellent.

At present, the collection of drawings is simply kept in a portfolio in Mr. Bel cher’s residence. That, it seems to me, is taking a great risk with a record that is practically irreplaceable. There is no similar record of Fiji birds, and it is important that these drawings be stored away in a safe place ready for the time when they may be printed and repro duced in colour.

Some people who are interested urged the Government of Fiji to buy the col lection from Mr. Belcher and Mr. Belcher received an offer of £lBO for the collec tion. He is still “spitting tacks” over it.

The Government evidently valued the drawings at about £2 each. Taking every thing into consideration, they should be worth a good deal more than that. —

R. W. Robson.