3 The New York Years (1931–1953)

Expeditions to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands 87
(8) Malaita Island. Former hostilities between the inhabitants of this island had
prevented other expeditions to collect birds there. A visit of Malaita was therefore
one of the special aims of the WSSE. They encountered no problem and obtained
a splendid collection which included two new species in the genera Zosterops
and Rhipidura as well as 15 new subspecies, particularly a very distinct form of
Pachycephala pectoralis without a black breast band (26–28 January). When Mayr
near Auki, their first port of call, saw a white-eye (Zosterops) he decided right in
the field that this was a new species. He later described it as Z. stresemanni.
On January 29th they sailed along the coast southward to Su’u where to collect
appeared more promising (January 31st–16 February). This was indeed the case.
Two weeks later Mayr and Hamlin left with ten porters for the interior mountains.
They crossed the first range at an altitude of about 1,600 feet and descended on the
other slope where they camped for the night. After crossing a river another camp
was established at the next mountain range. Then, however, they returned to the
coast because this path did not lead further inland to the highest mountains of the
island. It was necessary to search for another entrance to the central highlands of
Malaita.
On 15 February Mayr received permission from New York to return to Germany.
When, on 16 February, he got a letter from Berlin urging him to come back right
away, they pulled up anchor to return to Tulagi where the “France” arrived in the
early morning of 17 February. Mayr’s cable to the director of the museum in Berlin
read: “Wire immediately your opinion concerning my departure. Permission New
York. Will leave if you advise. Reply immediately. Mayr.” The answer, next day,
was: “Return advisable.” This settled the situation. 14
CalculatingthefaresitturnedouttobemuchtooexpensivetoreturntoEuropevia
NewYork,asStresemannhadsuggestedinoneofhisrecentletters.HenceMayrcould
only take the direct route to France and Germany. A French copra boat, the “Saint
Eloi,”passedthroughTulagion5MarchandtookhimtoMarseilles,wherehearrived
duringthelastdaysofApril.AcablehehadsenttoStresemannfromSoerabaja(Java)
on 24 March 1930 read: “Start my work at the museum on 1 May. Mayr.” The ship
was somewhat late and he made it back to his home in Dresden by the afternoon of
May 1st (and to Berlin a few days later).
The WSSE resumed the survey of Malaita’s bird fauna on 25 February. In early
June 1930, H. Hamlin and W. Eyerdam also left the “France” and returned to the
States. W. Coultas remained in charge of the expedition until 1935.
Expedition Results
It is truly astounding that Ernst Mayr not only survived the expeditions but actually
accomplished so much. His ornithological achievements may be summarized as
14 TheBerlinmuseumhadgrantedMayraleaveofabsencefortwoyears,i.e.,untilMarch
1930. On the other hand, he had agreed to join the WSSE for one year, i.e., until at
least June 1930. Stresemann therefore had contacted Dr. Sanford in New York and on 15
February 1930 Mayr received permission from the latter to leave the expedition.