122 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



my mails to Manna Manna Mission Station. To- 

 wards the end of my stay I sent the Malay servant 

 who accompanied me to a spot higher up on the 

 mountains, with two or three of my collecting boys, 

 to see if any new butterflies were to be caught at a 

 higher elevation. He did not come back at the 

 expected time, so I left my camp standing and went 

 down to the coast to dispatch my collections. 



What a pity it is there are so many thousands of 

 languages in New Guinea which are only of use within 

 a few miles ! Coming along from Okuma I had the 

 chief of the village as guide, and coming to a branch 

 track I asked him where it went to. He gave me the 

 name of the place (which I forget), and made a noise 

 of no sense, like a hen cackling, to make me understand 

 that they spoke a language he did not know. 



These Papuans, by the way, would badly shock the 

 " Native Birds Protection Society." They are worse 

 than any ladies for feathers. They skin the magnifi- 

 cent Killolo and hang it down their backs. The long- 

 tailed Birds of Paradise, of both species, are used as 

 the crowning piece of an elaborate head-dress. They 

 are known as " Finema " (the big one) and " Maga " 

 (the smaller one), though when speaking of them both 

 they call them " Quiva." The bower birds are made 

 into a very fine head-dress, every feather being tied 

 separately. They are called " Goroworo." The very 

 handsome long-tailed red parroquet is also plucked 

 and mounted on strings. It is called " Sisi." Of 



