150 A NATURALIST IN CANNIBAL LAND 



search for the playground of the bird, and then set 

 a snare of a loop of native twine in which the bird 

 gets entangled. In other cases Birds of Paradise are 

 caught by a loop which is left on the bough of the 

 tree and connected with a long piece of twine to the 

 hunter, who is concealed in the bush near by. When 

 the bird steps within the loop the hunter pulls the 

 snare. Yet another way of capturing birds, such as 

 pigeons, which fly in flocks, is to pick out a likely place 

 on the saddle of the spur of a mountain and cut an 

 opening there in the forest. Along this lane, which 

 comes to be used by the birds as a means of passage, 

 great nets are set up. Yet another method of 

 hunting the small birds which frequent thickets is 

 to set up funnel-shaped nets within the thicket, 

 beating the birds towards them. 



In two days near Owgarra I recollect that forty- 

 seven male Birds of Paradise were brought to me. 

 All arrived alive, tied by the leg with twine to 

 sticks. There were seven or eight different species 

 comprised in these. 



There are several points of resemblance in the habits 

 of the Birds of Paradise and the Bower-Birds in 

 regard to setting up playgrounds during the mating 

 season. But in no case does the Bird of Paradise 

 have such an elaborate playground as the coastal 

 types of Bower-Birds. There are some points of 

 distinction between mountain and coast Bower-Birds. 

 The mountain Bower-Birds of New Guinea have 



