New Guinea in search of Paradise-birds. 209 



not appeal to any native. Pity does not enter into their con- 

 siderations concerning anything they capture, and to prevent 

 escape their victim, whether a grasshopper or one of their OAvn 

 kith and kin, usually has the legs broken. Single examples 

 were brought to us of Lophorhina minor, Pitta mackloti, 

 and Rhectes dichrous, but owing to rough treatment at the 

 hands of their captors these fine birds died within a day or 

 so of reaching us. The same remark applies to a pair of 

 exquisite Pigmy Parrots (Nasiterna), which to my great 

 annoyance had been put in a cage with some large Pigeons, 

 a Cat-bird, and other species, and were therefore only just alive 

 when they reached camp. Although the missionaries at 

 Dilava had obtained for us many of the vernacular names of 

 various birds, we supplemented them by a small collection of 

 drawings of such species as we imagined might be found in 

 the locality. These pictures were a source of great interest 

 to the villagers, and w' ere so readily recognised that we were 

 supplied with examples of several of the birds that were 

 portrayed for their guidance. One of the Bower-birds 

 {j^luroedus melanocephalus^ which we were rather anxious to 

 possess, and which, as we were given to understand, was not 

 uncommon, was shortly afterwards added to our acquisitions, 

 but only six specimens of it came in. A few examples of 

 Amblyornis subalaris and Phonygama piirpureo-violacea and 

 a single P. chaJybeata also increased our collection. The 

 first-named were delicate and we had very great difficulty in 

 keeping a couple of the females alive; but the Manucodea 

 were as strong as Parotia lawesi, and soon developed 

 murderous tendencies towards each other, necessitating 

 separate cages. The villagers one day brought me a young 

 Cassowary, and we were rather puzzled for some time as to 

 where we should keep it. We got our boys to construct a 

 large run, which they quickly completed, and into this we 

 put our captive, feeding it daily on figs, rice, and sweet- 

 potatoes. But it ultimately escaped and the search-parties 

 failed to recapture it. The natives called it " Coco-Coco " 

 and ^' Yeo.^^ To our mammal-series we added several 

 specimens of the Three-striped Phalanger {Dactylopsila 



