Vol. TX. 

 igog 



1 From Magazines, &c. lOI 



their ability to find their way in migration is not a " mystery." 

 It is also conceded that birds are endowed with a great sensi- 

 tiveness to atmospheric conditions and readily recognize 

 approaching changes of weather. Birds migrate from areas of 

 high barometric pressure to areas of low barometric pressure. 

 In the northern hemisphere the direction is northward in spring 

 and southward in autumn. Migration is coincident with these 

 changes, which govern the birds' direction on migration to a 

 large extent. Besides being endowed with remarkable sensitive-, 

 ness to meteorological conditions, they also seem to be endowed 

 with some sense of direction, as yet unexplainable. It will 

 therefore be seen that the migratory movement is due to the 

 stimuli of the environment, which induce physiological change, 

 and is therefore opposed to instinctive movement. — A. H. E. M. 



" A Journey to British New Guinea in Search of 

 Birds-OF-Paradise." — In The Ibis for April, 1909, Mr. Charles 

 B. Plorsburgh contributes under this title a very readable narra- 

 tive of an expedition to the interior of British New Guinea, 

 undertaken in the interests of Sir William Ingram. While some 

 general collecting was done, the main purpose of the party was 

 to obtain a collection of live Birds-of-Paradise. Mr. Horsburgh 

 was accompanied by Mr. W. Stalker, who had previously been 

 for some time engaged in collecting birds and mammals for 

 Sir William Ingram in the Northern Territory of Australia. 

 On arrival at Port Moresby some little difficulty was experi- 

 enced in securing the services of a sufficient number of " boys " 

 to act as interpreters and servants. From Port Moresby 

 the party proceeded to Yule Island, where they were hospitably 

 entertained and assisted in their arrangements by Mr. N. H. M. 

 Bowden, the Resident Magistrate. On the loth of March, 

 accompanied by Mr. Bowden, who had official business in that 

 village, they left Yule Island in a whaleboat and some native 

 canoes for the passage up the beautiful Ethel River to Bioto. 

 Next morning they commenced their journey to Madiu, in the 

 mountains, which place was reached on the afternoon of the third 

 day after leaving Bioto. Here an unoccupied mission-house 

 was converted into a camp, a three-hours' journey being made 

 next morning to the Mission Station at Dilava to request 

 permission to occupy the house, which was readily accorded. 

 On the route from Bioto many birds were seen or heard, 

 including Parrots, the Crowned Pigeon {Goura coronatd) and other 

 Pigeons, Marquis Raggi Bird-of-Paradise {Paradisea raggiand), 

 Cassowaries, a Frogmouth {Podargus intermedius), White 

 Cockatoos, Hornbills, &c. Once settled at the mission-house, 

 with the assistance of the natives collecting went on apace. 

 Mr. Horsburgh says : — " For the next three weeks our daily 



