414 SOME BIRD LIFE IN BRITISH PAPUA. 



feathers of a sky-blue tint of a bird of paradise in the headdress of a 

 diief for an ample consideration. Where and when they had been 

 obtained the natives knew not, beyond pointing vaguely toward the 

 mountains far inland. The local name, " damba," as for a rngglana, 

 was also given. 



The enormous goura pigeons {Goura coronata) are glorious crea- 

 tures. The noble crests of mottled and slate-colored hues give the 

 birds an almost commanding appearance. A peculiarity about these 

 birds is that only in the River Musa district (latitude 9° to 10° south) 

 are they to be found in considerable numbers. Whether a special 

 kind of fruit tree only exists in the locality would be interesting to 

 know, as otherwise that particular part of the mainland scarcely 

 differs in any respect from other portions of the country east of 

 longitude 148°. It is well known, of course, that a different variety 

 of bird inhabits the Fly River districts {G. (Valhertlj<). 



Pigeons of lesser size, viz, the blue, white, black, and white Torres 

 Strait, and the white necklaced varieties, mostly inhaliit the man- 

 grove trees on the coast in flocks, and toward sunset can be eaily 

 shot, flying with alarmed cries in circles above their roosting place 

 and returning in a few minutes within the zone of the sportsman's 

 deadly gun fire. In the islands in the southeastern portion of the 

 possession the beautiful blue-green bronze pigeon, with Avhite tail 

 and long neck feathers ('' nicobar '"), and a species with a remarkable 

 fleshy protuberance at the base of the upper mandible, make their 

 home in the thick scrub. 



The varieties of doves are numerous, among Avhich might be men- 

 tioned a very pretty particolored one with green, white, and yellow 

 on its body and a i)atch of magenta above the beak, found on the Con- 

 flict Group. Also the almost tame green and brown species of the 

 Lachlan Islands. 



At all times of the day and night cassowaries can be heard uttering 

 their peculiar plaintive cry as they wander through the dense forest. 

 They are very hard to approach, and only on one occasion Avas the 

 Avriter permitted to see a wild one, and that Avas through the effect 

 of a lucky shot by a recruit in the armed constabulary. So far as it 

 is remembered, the bird Avas of the common type peculiar to the 

 country, and stood about 5 feet in height. A one-time planter in 

 Milne Bay once kept a pair of these birds and trained them to per- 

 form the duties of Avatch dogs. As Avould be expected, black and also 

 white (Ti-iton) cockatoos iCacatva diworpd) ; red, green, and blue 

 parrots; rifle birds {Craspedophora magniflca)^ and scarlet-breasted 

 green parrakeets are very numerous, and are to be found in flocks 

 Avhere cocoanut, breadfruit, banana, Avild cherry, and plum trees are 

 in bearing. l*lait-billed hornl)ills (RlnifhJoecros imdtdatus), in par- 

 ticular, devour these fruits greedily, and travel long distances from 



