32 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



and D' Albertis, with a long retinue of friendly natives, 

 penetrates from the north-east coast up the delight- 

 ful rhododendron and fern-clad Arfak mountains to 

 the highland village of Hatam, never before reached 

 by any European. Here he makes his first great 

 prize, a lovely Pa?-otia sexpennis, one of the most 

 beautiful and rare birds-of'paradise, of which only one 

 or two badly prepared skins have ever found their 



his name of sexpennis is derived, and to raise and lower 

 a small tuft of white feathers above his beak, which 

 shone in the rays of the sun like" burnished silver ; 

 he also raised and lowered the crest of stiff feathers, 

 almost like scales, and glittering like bits of bright 

 metal, with which his neck was adorned. He spread 

 and contracted the long feathers on his sides, in a 

 way which made him appear now larger and again 



— HarJ>yoJ>iis Novcc-Giihieie attacking a small Kangaroo. From D'Albertis' " New Guinea.". 



way to England. Wandering one morning in the 

 quiet groves of delicate flowers and giant ferns 

 on this unknown mountain, he suddenly hears the 

 musical call of a strange bird, " and after standing 

 some moments in the middle of the little glade," 

 D'Albertis writes, " the beautiful bird peered about 

 to see if all was safe, and then he began to move the 

 long ieathers of his head, six in number, from which 



smaller than his real size, and jumping first on one 

 side, and then on the other, he placed himself proudly 

 in an attitude of combat, as though he imagined 

 himself fighting with an invisible foe." But his life 

 ends there and then, and the jewel-like prize is carried 

 home in triumph. 



For so ardent an ornithologist, this region is a 

 paradise, and here he secures many new species 



