FOREIGX BIBDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



CHAPTER m. 



B0WER=B1RDS {Ptnmmhynchidm). 



I believe that most writers consider these birds to b*- 

 more nearly related to the Birds of Paradise than to 

 any others : Gould undoubtedly thought so. and states 

 as much (' Handbook to Birds "of Australia," Vol. I., p. 

 441.). Dr. 8haipe, however ('• CataJogu-e of Birds in 

 the Collection of the British Museum," Vol. VI.), places 

 them as a sub-family of the Timeliine Thrushes, and 

 observer : — '" Their hab'ts seem to me to associate theai 

 with the Ground' Thrushes and Babblers, of which they 

 will form an outlying group with affinities towards the 

 Crows and Paradise-birds." The late Profeasor Alfred 

 Xewton ("Dictionary of Birds," p. 511 says: — ""By 

 most systematists these birds are placed among the 

 ParadiseidcE (Birds of Paradise) ; but in the " British 

 Museum Catalogue of Birds' (VI., pp. 380-395) they are 

 to be f ovund in the ' limbo large and broad" ' of 

 Timeliir/a — though allowed the rank of a subfamily, 

 Ptilonorhi/iichina, the name being taken iiom the 

 feathered and not the bare (as might, from its 

 etvmolog_v. have been expected) condition of the base 

 of the bill." 



The Sitin Bower-bim certainly has the aspect of a 

 glorified Crow- : and,_ in its awkward, ridiculous eide 

 jumps and alternate flapping of first one wing and then 

 the other, it behaves much as I have seen a Raven do 

 when in a sportive humour. The bird never struck me 

 as ha\-ing anvnhing in common with the Thi-ushes ; its 

 love of bright coIouib and tendency to tan-y about 

 pebbles, bones and feathers to decorate its ' tunnels 

 (lx)\vers) is more ohaiacteristic of the Coriidce and 

 i'liirniclie, and its extraordinani- songs bear a vague 

 resemblance to .-ome parts of the performance of om- 

 Enrope.in Starluag. Its capacity for mimicry and learn- 

 ing to talk or imitate the mewing of a cit again indicate 

 aflSnity to the Crows and St-arliajs rather than to the 

 Tlirushes. Though a trifle larger, this Bower-bird, both 

 in its long awkm^ard hops, the gener;J outline of its 

 hexx-y bill (the upper mandible of which, however, is 

 more heavily feathered as well as the sides of the lower 

 mandible) reminds one not a little of the HiU-ilynahs. 



After I had completed the present diap^er. a number 

 of species of Bower-birds, Paradise-birds, and Manucodes 

 were imported by Mi-. C. B. Horsbrugh, who was sent 

 out to Xew Guinea to that intent by Sir William Ingram 

 and the Zoological Society of London. Some of these birds 

 are of considerable beauty ; and I should feel bound to 

 include them m the present work, if it weie not for the 

 fact that it has been decided -n future to preserve them 

 strictly, only permitt'ns them to l>e captured or shot for 

 public institutions This will riecessarily place them 

 entirely out of the reach of private avicultiirists. 

 ^ In an article on Prince Rudolph's Bird of Paradise, 

 Sir William Ingram observes that : •' During nearlv fiftv 

 ye.irs before the year 1904. only sixteen Birds of Paradise 

 had been r<«eivsd at the London Zoological Gardens, 

 and these onlv arrived one or two at a time." He then 

 goes on to mention that ilr. Walter Goodfellow. in 1904, 

 landed in England two King Birds, two Paradisea 

 minor and one Pararlhea apoda : in 1905. twentv Birds 

 of Paradise were landed a^ Genoa : three King" Birds. 

 omParadisea minor and sixteen Pa/adi'fa apoda. In 

 1907. twelve pairs of Iving Birds and six females oi 

 P. apoda were iraTXJrted. and in 1908 more than fiftv 

 birds were brought home belonging to seven species not 

 previously imported, induding one specimen of P. 

 riidolpJii. 



For the reason already aiention'^d, I shall confine my- 



self to the me"e enumeration of such species as hava 

 come to h;ind since the ensuing chapter was written : — 



Baebet-like Cat-bied (^tuToedus buccoides). 



Two examples were presented to the Londotk 

 Zoological Society in 1908. 



Black-headed Cat-bied (J^luroedus melanocephalus). 

 Three examples reached the London Zoological 

 Gardens in 1908. 



L^xoknamented Boweb-bibd [Amblyomis inomata). 

 A pair was received by Mr. E. J. Brook in 1909. 



Gabdener Bowee-bikd (Amblyomis subaJaris). 



Two examples were imported la 1908, and were pie- 

 .sented to the London Zoological Society. Mr. E. J. 

 Brook received a female and two males in 1909. 



Magxificxxt Rifle-bibd [Ptilorhis maynifica.) 

 One specimen was brought home in 1908. 



New Guinea Rifle-bibd (Ptdorhis intercedem). 

 One specimen also of this speoies in 1908 : this and » 

 yoimg male reached the Zoological Gardens the same 

 year. 



Meter's Bird of Par.ujise {Epimachus meyeri). 



Three males and two females were received bv Mr> 

 E. J. Brook in 1909. 



Coirxi Ragci's P.uiadise-bird {Paradisea raggiana). 

 Several exaanples were imported in 1908. Twelve- 

 specimens reached the London Zoological Gardens in 

 that year. 



Prince Rudolph's Bird of Paradise (Paradisorni* 

 rudolphi). 

 One example only was seciared ; it was deposited at; 

 the Gardens. Mr. E. J. Brook received a pair in 1909. 



ilAGSincEST Bird of Paradise (Diphyllodes 



magnifica). 



Eight specimens were brought to England in 1908. 



HuxsTEix's Bird of Par.U)ISE [Diphyllodes /lunsteini}. 

 Xmnber of specimens not statoJ, but eighteen foiuid 

 their way to the Gardens at Regent's Park. ilr. E. J. 

 Brook received a speoinen in 19C9. He also received 

 the young of Loria maria. 



Six-wired Bird of Paradise (Parotia sexfilata]. 



Seven speeimeJs were imported in 1908. 



Lawes' Bird of P.\r.\dise {Parotia laicesi). 



Xiimber of examples not noted, but fourteen found a 

 home in the Gardens at Regent's Park. 



StTPERB Bird of P.vr.idise (Lophorina tuperha). 

 Ml-. E. J. Brook received two pairs in 1909. 



Princess Stepuvxies Bird of Paradise (Aitrarchiu 

 itephaniit). 



Mr. E. J. Brook received three males and four females 

 in 19C9. 



Purple M.asucode (Pkonygama purpureo-violacea). 



Probably five specimens c-ime to hand : certainly tbai> 



