The Eed Bird of Paradise. 529 



place to siceji in, for my bed was soaked. Fresh leaks kept 

 forming as the rain continued, and we all passed a very mis- 

 erable and sleepless night. In the morning the sun shone 

 brightly, and every thing was put out to dry. We tried to 

 find out why the mats leaked, and thought we had discovered 

 that they had been laid on upside down. Having shifted them 

 all, and got every thing dry and comfortable by the evening, 

 we again went to bed, and before midnight were again awaked 

 by torrents of rain and leaks streaming in upon us as bad as 

 ever. There was no more sleep for us that night, and the next 

 day our roof was again taken to pieces, and we came to the 

 conclusion that the fault was a want of slope enough in the 

 roof for mats, although it would be sufficient for the usual at- 

 tap thatch. I therefore purchased a few new and some old 

 attaps, and in the parts these would not coA'er we put the 

 mats double, and then at last had the satisfaction of finding 

 our roof tolerably water-tight. 



I was now able to begin working at the natural history of 

 the island. When I first arrived I was surprised at being 

 told that there were no paradise birds at Muka, although there 

 were plenty at Bessir, a place where the natives caught them 

 and prepared the skins. I assured the people I had heard the 

 cry of these birds close to the village, but they would not be- 

 lieve that I could know their cry. However, the very first 

 time I went into the forest I not only heard but saw them, 

 and was convinced there were plenty about ; but they were 

 very shy, and it was some time before we got any. My hunt- 

 er first shot a female, and I one day got very close to a fine 

 male. He was, as I expected, the rare red species (Paradisea 

 rubra) which alone inhabits this island, and is found nowhere 

 else. He was quite low down, running along a bough search- 

 ing for insects, almost like a woodpecker, and the long black 

 riband-like filaments in his tail hung down in the most grace- 

 ful double curve imaginable. I covered him with my gun, 

 and was going to use the barrel which had a very small charge 

 of powder and number eight shot, so as not to injure his plum- 

 age, but the gun missed fire, and he was off in an instant 

 among the thickest jungle. Another day we saw no less than 

 eight fine males at different times, and fired four times at 

 them ; but though other birds at the same distance almost al- 



L L 



