86 PYGMIES AND PAPUANS 



river, the Kapare, where we joined it, was more than a 

 hundred yards wide, and in the next two days' journey 

 it hardly diminished at all in size. The character of 

 the river differed markedly from that of the Mimika ; 

 its bed was of sand, denoting its mountain origin, in 

 contrast to the brown mud of the Mimika and other 

 jungle rivers, and its course was a procession of magni- 

 ficent bends, quite unlike the paltry windings of the 

 Mimika. 



Paddling slowly up the river we disturbed com- 

 panies of Hornbills (Rhytidoceros plicatiis) which were 

 feeding at the tops of the trees. These peculiarly hideous 

 birds bark like dogs, and the loud " swishing " of their 

 wings, as they slowly take flight, has been likened (not 

 inaptly) to the starting puffs of a railway train. On 

 this and on the other rivers we were often pleasantly 

 reminded of home by the note of the Common Sandpiper 

 (Totaniis hypoleiims) which seemed to be quite as much 

 at home in New Guinea as in its northern haunts. The 

 last of these were seen in early April, and they began to 

 reappear before the end of July. Very interesting birds, 

 of which we saw a great number on this river, are the 

 black and white Tree Ducks (Tadorna radjah). They 

 have the curious habit of perching very cleverly on the 

 topmost branches of the trees, and they make a pretty 

 whistling by night. 



There were no signs of human habitation along the 

 banks, until on the third day we came to a small village 

 of a dozen huts, in the middle of which was a tall house 

 built of bamboos, used for ceremonials and dancing. 

 The few people inhabiting the place were of a very low 



