142



Sir William Ingram,



THE ACCLIMATIZATION OF THE GREATER

BIRD OF PARADISE (.Paradisea apoda)


IN THE WEST INDIES.


By Sir William Ingram, Bart.


At considerable expense I have sent expeditions to the

Am Islands, New Guinea, for the purpose of collecting that

magnificent Bird of Paradise, the apoda. It was from the fear

of its becoming extinct that I endeavoured to secure a large

number of live specimens and preserve the breed by turning

them loose on the Island of Little Tobago in the West Indies,

and I purchased the island with the object of forming a sanctuary

for them.


Little Tobago is about 400 acres in extent, thickly covered

with tropical jungle and very tall trees. The climate is as nearly

as possible the same as that in the Aru Islands, and as there are

no snakes or vermin on the Island it is an ideal spot for the

experiment of creating a stock of apodas. These lovely birds

used at one time to be fairly plentiful in the Aru Islands. Some

years ago over 3000 male full-plumaged skins were imported to

Europe every year, but that number has gradually fallen off, until

at the present time little more than two or three hundred skins

are collected. Mr. Goodfellow,* who has been at the head of the

recent British Expedition to Dutch New Guinea, reports having

seen specimens of the apoda on the mainland; this may be a

variety of the Aru Island apoda . and it is certainly satisfactory

to learn that this species exists elsewhere. Mr. Stalker, the well-

known naturalist, who unfortunately lost his life while employed

011 the British Dutch New Guinea Expedition, was engaged by

me to collect my live birds. He received most valuable assist¬

ance from Mr. Frost, and they were fortunate enough to send

home over fifty-six live specimens of the apoda ; some of these

were retained in England, a few died on the journey, but forty-

eight were set free on the Island of Little Tobago. O11 the

journey home from the Aru Islands, Mr. Frost was lucky enough

to come across a most intelligent Swiss sailor, who was employed



Avic. Mag., Ser. 3, Vol. I., p. 278 (1910).



