Pelicans

Blown Into the Solomons

From Our Own Correspondent

Honiara, Aug. 20.

PELICANS have been seen this year in the British Solomon Islands.

° ne Eur °P ean resident of many years’ residence remembers having seen a pelican pn Ysabel many years ago. Natives then were puzzled and a little frightened at the sudden appearance of a bird completely un known to them.

The birds appeared at Gatukai (Western Solomons) shortly after

the big wind which caused so mu< damage early this year, and it suggested that they were blown awj from their homes, possibly in Ne Guinea.

Later, a dozen were reported at photographed on Kolombangara in tl New Georgia Group, and a scoi sighted some weeks afterwards on tl Lunga Group, on Guadalcanal.

Some years ago, after a gale, single sparrow arrived at the Severn Day Adventist mission at Batuna.

Similar instances of birds whit are not normally migratory havir been carried into new regions b strong winds have been recorded. A outstanding example was the intn duction into New Zealand of tl Australian Silver-eye, a small find which was thus introduced when flock of them was blown 1,400 mil< across the Tasman Sea during violent storm.

The August Tofua lifted 3,0( cases of bananas from Apis Western Samoa—the largest cor signment from any of the islan ports but far below New Zealan requirements. It is anticipated thg towards the end of the year, hovs ever, banana shipments from a ports, including Suva and Aph should increase substantially an that the NZ demand should b close to satisfied.