Jan., 1907.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 157 



Oriori on 31st October. The villages in this district consist of 

 five or six houses on a cleared space on the sides of the hills, and 

 were of the same type as those seen about Port Moresby— a hut 

 on poles with a verandah in front, the hut being thatched with 

 blade grass. There was the usual accompaniment of mangy dogs, 

 pigs, and fleas. Some of the villages are very pretty, there being 

 bright-coloured flowers and plants growing about them, including 

 the tobacco plant, various crotons, and a pretty foliage plant, the 

 seed-pods of which contain a red substance, with which the 

 natives colour their faces. There is also a creeper grown for the 

 sake of the root, which has the property of stupefying fish when 

 thrown into the water. In the gardens are grown various kinds 

 of bananas, taro, yams, sweet potatoes, sugar-cane, bread fruit, 

 pumpkins, native cucumbers, Indian corn, and tomatoes, the last 

 two of which have been introduced from civilized sources. The 

 high scrub which covers the mountains and valleys is cleared by 

 the natives every year to make new gardens. As the natives now 

 have steel tomahawks, instead of the old stone ones, they are able 

 to make larger gardens, and with less labour than formerly. 

 Physically the natives here are of a lighter build than those met with 

 at a higher elevation. They have prominent abdomens, and many 

 have enlarged spleens, due to the malaria, which is prevalent in 

 this district. My shooting boys brought in good specimens of 

 four species of birds of paradise — Paradisea raggiana, Port 

 Moresby Rifle-bird, Ptilorhis intercedens, The Magnificent Bird of 

 Paradise, Diphyllodes magnifica, and King Bird of Paradise, 

 Ciciniiurios regius, Linn. 



The birds of paradise are tracked by their cry, the native 

 following up the call till he is right under a bird. They are not 

 often seen flying about, with the exception of the raggiaoia, which 

 is frequently seen in the high trees in this distriect, and whose 

 loud cry dominates the forest. Besides the birds of paradise 

 we got three species of pigeons — a large blue pigeon, Carpophaga 

 rubiensis, and a large and small bronze-wing pigeon. 



We arrived at the cave in Mt. Oriori 31st October, but only 

 remained one night, and did not go to the top of the mountain, 

 as we were anxious to push on while the weather was fine, and 

 intended making a longer stay in this neighbourhood on our 

 return. Leaving the cave, we proceeded up the Anoki Moia 

 ridge, and camped on this ridge after walking 23^ hours in a 

 westerly direction. We remained here till 3rd November, I 

 think at an elevation of about 4,500 feet. Between this ridge and 

 Mount Oriori was a rich valley with lofty trees, and quantities of 

 wild fruit lying about on the ground. In this neighbourhood, in 

 addition to the four species of birds of paradise already men- 

 tioned, we got five new ones — D'Alberti's .Bird of Paradise, 

 Brepanornis albertisi, the Superb Bird of Paradise, Lophprina 



