l58 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXllt. 



superba, Southern Six-plumed Bird of Paradise, Parotia lawesi, 

 the rare and beautiful Prince Rudolph's Bird of Paradise, 

 Paradisoriiis rudolphi, and the large longtail, Epimachus 

 meyeri. The cry of the Southern Six-plumed or Sixpenny Bird 

 of Paradise is almost exactly imitated by the native, so it is easily 

 secured, the bird answering the call of the hunter. 



Further up the ridge Anthony pointed out to me the dancing 

 ground of the Southern Six-plumed Bird of Paradise. It con- 

 sisted of a space on the ridge cleared of moss and dead leaves, 

 across which were three thin branches within a foot of the ground 

 and bare of leaves. The birds hop to and fro from the branches 

 to the ground whilst displaying their plumes. We got our third 

 variety of bronze-wing pigeon here, and a pretty little fruit- 

 pigeon, about half the size of a domestic pigeon, of a deep 

 green colour, yellow stomach, yellowish-green beak, and pink 

 legs. We found three bower-birds' play-grounds within a 

 quarter of a mile of camp, of which I was able to get good 

 photographs. The play-ground consists of a dome-shaped mass 

 of twigs, with two rounded openings which communicate within. 

 The space between the two openings is occupied by a flower 

 garden, the bed of which is formed of the fibre taken from the 

 stems of the tree ferns. Into this bed the bird sticks flowers, 

 berries, bright-coloured leaves, and beetles' wings, renewing the 

 flowers as they fade. In front of the two openings is a yard 

 enclosed with twigs and strewn with large scarlet fruit. This 

 type of play-ground seems to be confined to an elevation of 3,000 

 to 6,000 feet, and is usually situated on a slope just below a 

 ridge. Above this elevation the play-ground is differently con- 

 structed. In these play -grounds I have never seen the feathers, 

 shells, and pebbles common in the play-grounds of some of the 

 Australian bower-birds. These birds are very cunning, never 

 approaching their play-grounds or calling out while anyone is 

 about. Whilst in the mountains I only got one specimen — the 

 Orange-crested Bower-bird, Amhlyornis subalaris. The different 

 varieties of this bird are trapped by the natives in their play- 

 grounds, and the yellow or orange coloured crests are taken to 

 lorm head-dresses. This ornament is highly prized, and is a 

 difficult curio to obtain. 



Amongst the plants in this district are two fine creepers. The 

 flowers of one are ccrise-coloured and of the other white, and are 

 borne in great masses, making a fine display. There is a tree 

 parasite which grows on the highest trees and resembles a rhodo- 

 dendron in the leaf. The flower is nearly four inches across and 

 of a beautiful salmon-orange colour, there being four or five 

 flowers in a cluster at the end of the stalk. When growing on 

 the trees these flowers have a lovely rich golden appearance. 

 There is another variety with similar foliage, but the flower is 



