Jan., 1901] THE VICTORIAlSf NAtURALISt. l63 



colours, very tempting to the eye, but all those I tasted had a dis- 

 agreeable flavour, and many made the sputum froth. We only 

 remained at Kokoda one day, starting back on 12th November, 

 and reaching Kage by the same route on 14th November, where 

 we found the stores and trade safe. We found the Isurava people 

 quite friendly on our way back. The chief was at home, and 

 accompanied us back to Kage. His hair was done up in a 

 number of dirty ringlets, which Anthony assured me were false, but 

 I had not the courage to satisfy myself about this. In our march 

 over the main range I think the highest point we reached was 

 about 8,000 feet above the sea level. The ridges at this elevation 

 are still covered with trees, which are smaller, and there is not so 

 much undergrowth. When camping at this elevation and having 

 our tea, there were two females of the small long-tailed Princess 

 Stephanie's Bird of Paradise, Astrapia Stephanies, feeding over 

 our heads in a pandanus tree, and I have seen in this locality 

 as many as six of these birds feeding in a single tree. They 

 are easily seen, but make very little noise, not more than a 

 twittering. The large longtail, Hpiinachus meyeri, met with at the 

 same elevation, is not so common, but is easily tracked by its cry, 

 which somewhat resembles the roll of a kettledrum. I saw here a 

 bower-bird's play-ground, which differs from the one already 

 described. It has the shape of a saucer, about a yard in diameter, 

 and composed of moss. In the centre of the saucer and round 

 the stem of a bush is placed a bundle of twigs. I have seen three 

 of this kind of play-ground, all being, I think, over 6,000 feet above 

 sea level. I found two varieties of begonia growing close to the 

 river with fine foliage and larger flowers than those I had previously 

 seen. On all the mountains where I travelled there were wild 

 raspberries, and a fruit resembling the Alpine strawberry, the bush 

 of which, however, grows to a height of 6 feet in the low scrub. 

 There is a fair amount of quartz in the river here, and Anthony 

 washed some of the deposit for gold, but did not find any. We 

 remained in the Kage district till 20th November, sending boys to 

 the higher elevation to shoot a few specimens of the two longtail 

 birds of paradise. I could not get about very much, my legs and 

 feet being a mass of small sores from scrub itch, which somewhat 

 spoilt the rest of my trip. j^The boys had made a collection of 

 birds' eggs while I had been away, and there were two eggs which 

 the finder declared to be those of the Astrapia stephanice, but 

 Ge've said that this was not so. We got a specimen here of the 

 little Scarlet and Black Mountain Honey eater. 



Some of the spiders here resemble a crab, having a very hard 

 case on the dorsum and ventral surface, with lateral horns. Ge've 

 killed a pig the night after our return, and there was a feast, the 

 Kage tribesmen, who have fine voices, singing far into the night — 

 gardening songs, I think. Their voices are powerful, and messages 



