on Prince Rudolph's Bird of Paradise. 61


intense desire of seeing alive a Blue Bird of Paradise, and also

a Six-plumed Bird ( Parotia sexpennis) ; there is something so

beautiful and attractive in these stuffed specimens, even in their

attenuated glory, lacking as they do the gloss and radiance of

the living bird, that it is no wonder that I was eager to try, if it

were possible, to follow up my former successes by securing

living examples of these gorgeous birds. The result of my

enthusiasm has been that, in the year 1908, there have been

specimens of both of these rare and exquisite birds on view at

the Zoological Gardens. Alas! the sojourn of the Rudolphi was

brief indeed, as he survived only three weeks after arriving in

London. It is of the story of the importation of this Blue Bird

that I have been asked to write.


Carl Hunstein, the adventurous gold-miner and naturalist,

first discovered the Blue Bird of Paradise, which proved to belong

to quite a new genus and was called Paradisornis rudolphi, being

named after that well known ornithologist, the late Crown Prince

of Austria.


Carl Hunstein found the bird in the far interior of British

New Guinea, on the "Stanley Owen Range, about 8000 feet above

the sea level. He had to penetrate, with only one or two native

followers, into the country of the cannibals. From the time of

its discovery very few dead specimens have reached Europe, and

it is pretty well known that, to procure this bird, one would have

to travel far into the Interior. I knew that I had given my

collector an exceedingly difficult task to get this bird. However

I was most fortunate in the choice of the gentlemen whom I

selected to undertake this arduous journey. Mr. C. B. Horsbrugh,

the head of the expedition, had already had much experience in

travelling and collecting in South Africa, and it was fortunate

that I found him at liberty to undertake the duty. Mr. Stalker,

who accompanied him, had already had some experience in col¬

lecting in Central Australia and also in British New Guinea. I

was indeed lucky in persuading the heads of the Zoological Society

to join with me in the enterprise; they gave me the greatest

assistance by using their influence in getting important members

of the Commonwealth Government of Australia to give their

support to the expedition, and render much assistance which

proved of the greatest value.



