﻿274 
  Recently 
  published 
  Ornithological 
  Works. 
  

  

  information^ 
  but, 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  Appendix, 
  is 
  singularly 
  des- 
  

   titute 
  of 
  all 
  references 
  to 
  natural 
  history. 
  We 
  have, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  managed 
  to 
  find 
  one 
  paragraph 
  that 
  will 
  be 
  interesting 
  

   to 
  ornithologists. 
  Speaking 
  of 
  the 
  S.E. 
  promontory 
  of 
  

   British 
  New 
  Guinea, 
  the 
  author 
  says 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  '' 
  The 
  forests 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  Kemp-Welch 
  abound 
  in 
  birds 
  

   of 
  every 
  kind, 
  from 
  modest 
  forms 
  to 
  the 
  most 
  gorgeously 
  

   plumaged 
  Birds 
  of 
  Paradise 
  and 
  the 
  most 
  charming 
  Pigeons. 
  

   The 
  successful 
  capture 
  of 
  these 
  Paradise-birds 
  is 
  an 
  occupation 
  

   only 
  to 
  be 
  learned 
  by 
  experience. 
  They 
  usually 
  congregate 
  

   upon 
  a 
  certain 
  tree 
  called, 
  in 
  sporting 
  parlance, 
  ' 
  the 
  dancing- 
  

   tree.' 
  Here 
  they 
  meet 
  at 
  a 
  certain 
  hour 
  to 
  exhibit 
  their 
  

   gorgeous 
  plumage 
  by 
  numerous 
  elegant 
  motions 
  towards 
  

   one 
  another. 
  Male 
  birds 
  usually 
  possess 
  the 
  most 
  brilliant 
  

   colours, 
  diflPused 
  over 
  the 
  whole 
  surface 
  of 
  their 
  glossy 
  plu- 
  

   mage, 
  and 
  appearing 
  as 
  tints 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  exquisite 
  blending. 
  

   They 
  hop 
  from 
  branch 
  to 
  branch 
  and 
  from 
  limb 
  to 
  limb, 
  

   bowing 
  and 
  curtseying 
  to 
  one 
  another 
  gracefully 
  and 
  ele- 
  

   gantly. 
  The 
  mountain 
  natives 
  make 
  use 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  clever 
  

   device 
  for 
  catching 
  these 
  beautiful 
  birds 
  by 
  trapping. 
  The 
  

   most 
  favourable 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  jungle 
  is 
  selected, 
  and 
  a 
  clearing 
  

   made, 
  about 
  thirty 
  feet 
  wide 
  at 
  one 
  end, 
  and 
  gradually 
  con- 
  

   verging 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  like 
  the 
  letter 
  V, 
  where 
  it 
  terminates 
  in 
  a 
  

   framework 
  constructed 
  of 
  saplings 
  crossing 
  one 
  another 
  at 
  

   intervals, 
  and 
  supported 
  by 
  their 
  ends 
  to 
  two 
  suitable 
  trees. 
  

   This 
  structure 
  is 
  then 
  perfected 
  by 
  attaching 
  numbers 
  of 
  

   snares 
  thereto, 
  so 
  placed 
  as 
  to 
  trap 
  the 
  unwary 
  birds 
  in 
  their 
  

   flight 
  through 
  the 
  tempting 
  opening 
  in 
  the 
  jungle. 
  The 
  

   skins 
  of 
  these 
  birds, 
  even 
  to 
  the 
  native, 
  possess 
  some 
  com- 
  

   mercial 
  value 
  for 
  ornamental 
  purposes. 
  The 
  long 
  feathers 
  

   of 
  the 
  tails 
  and 
  wings 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  personal 
  adornment, 
  and 
  

   the 
  shorter 
  feathers 
  for 
  the 
  beautification. 
  of 
  spears, 
  shields, 
  

   and 
  other 
  implements 
  of 
  war. 
  That 
  these 
  beautiful 
  birds 
  

   are 
  provided 
  by 
  nature 
  with 
  such 
  gorgeousness 
  of 
  plumage 
  

   for 
  some 
  specific 
  purpose 
  there 
  can 
  surely 
  be 
  no 
  reasonable 
  

   doubt 
  ; 
  whether 
  that 
  purpose 
  be 
  sexual 
  attraction, 
  or 
  is 
  an 
  

   effect 
  produced 
  by 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  local 
  environment, 
  we 
  do 
  

   not 
  venture 
  to 
  advance 
  an 
  opinion." 
  

  

  