May 1854 Hong Kong China Parrots, Monkeys, Tiger cats etc. There has been much sickness among his officers. May 26th & 27th I am confined to my room by an attack of Cholera-morbus. May 28th Although quite recovered, I am kept on board by the incessant showers. It has rain- ed almost constantly for four or five days. May 29th Weather fine again. I made arrangements to fit a portion of my Zoological Stores from the Kennedy. We now have on board a Python 13 ft long from Batavia, which was presented by the kind and hospitable inhabitants of that city to Dr Hamilton of the Kennedy. I saw it swallow a chick- en of full size, by compression in the coils of its body, to an elongated cylindrical shape, and then, still using a coil of its body as an adjuster, swallowing it head fore- most, in a slow and deliberate manner. It requires as it rations a chicken every five days. May 30th Mr Squires, a gentleman engaged at Batavia by Capt. Rogers, to serve in the Haw- ock as interpreter and Collector—came on board today to see me. At the Commodore's request I conversed with him about his collection which were chiefly marine animals from Gaspar Straits. Finding he had evinced much discrimination and tact in collecting and pre-serving specimens, I reported accordingly to Capt. Ringgold, and he will be appointed assistant Naturalist in place of Mr Ames who left at the Cape. I went with Mr S. to the Hancock's and saw his collection most of which were quite in my favorite departments and of course all new to me. He had a specimen of the edible bird's nest (of a swallow) attached to a rock. It is about two inches across, of a semi-cylindrical shape, fastened like a hollow shelf to the perpendicular surface of the rock. (For an account of these collections see Mr Squires Catalogues.) May 31st I visited the Kennedy today, to get out stores etc. Capt. Collins showed me his beautiful pair of Java doves, and I also saw a small collection of invertebrates, Shells etc,