The present study has been motivated by the ICE wave measurements. It is found that the newborn cometary ions, particularly the protons, can excite whistlers and waves with frequencies much higher than the proton gyrofrequency but with mixed electrostatic and electromagnetic polarization. For the case of oblique propagation the newborn ions are treated as if they are unmagnetized. This is justified not only because the wave frequencies are high but also because the growth rates are large. On the other hand in the case of parallel propagation the growth rate is much smaller, and the excitation process seems to be unimportant. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1988