of British New Guinea. 151 



long- distance and is a double note, difficult to imitate even 

 by the natives. 



Leaving the Vanapa River, we ascended the lower moun- 

 tains, where we encountered the King Bird of Paradise 

 (Cicinnurus regius), of which we secured several specimens 

 during our first day's march. This was the first time I had 

 seen this little bird in all its beauty. Its legs, when it is 

 alive, are of a clear cobalt-blue colour. I had previously 

 only seen prepared specimens, in which the legs become 

 black and shrivelled. I found it to be a restless little crea- 

 ture, not easily seen in the dense scrub, nor was it met 

 with above an altitude of 2000 feet. Its food consists of 

 seeds and berries, of which there is abundance in this 

 locality. 



The next Paradise-bird met with was the Ragei's Paradise- 

 bird (Paradisea raggiana), which is also found on the lower 

 ranges of the mountains, and is rarely ever seen above an alti- 

 tude of 3000 feet. One evening I observed a number of 

 this species flying from one tree to another, evidently feed- 

 ing and dancing, as I am told is their habit. P. raggiana 

 lives on fruit, which generally grows on high trees in Papua ; 

 and as nature has provided these birds with a thick skin to 

 keep their long plumage from falling out, it requires a strong- 

 charge of the gun to bring them to the ground. It is to be 

 regretted that the long red plumes soon lose their brightness 

 after death. 



We came across the magnificent Rifle-bird (Ptilorhis ntag- 

 nifica) on Mount Kowald, as also on Mount Belford, at an 

 altitude of 3000 feet and over. This bird haunts the dense 

 scrub, usually in the neighbourhood of the running streams. 

 It is solitary and wild and shy, requiring some skill to secure 

 it. On Mount Belford, at the altitude of 4000 feet, we first 

 heard the call of Lawes's Paradise-bird (Parotia lawesi), the 

 local form of the Six-wired Bird of Paradise, but did not 

 succeed in obtaining a specimen until we had crossed the 

 Joseph River and ascended Mount Musgrave to the same 

 altitude. Here I secured an example of this beautiful bird. 

 Our camp was near one of their play-grounds, so 1 had a good 



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