on Rare Birds from New Guinea.



33 i



But there is no ruthless destruction, no decimation of the

feathered ranks, such as goes on because the women of Europe

and America follows the shameful fashion of wearing plumes

upon their heads.


Just a few pairs of each species are brought home to be

admired in the living flesh by many bird-lovers, and the rest

released. Mr. Goodfellow for instance gave liberty to a large

quantity of Paradise Birds, because he felt he could not house

them properly, or find a home for so many in England. Had he

been a plume-trader, where would those birds be now? Certainly

not in the forests of New Guinea, but only their skins figuring

in a hat in some shop window, perhaps in Regent Street or the

Avenue de l’Opera in Paris, to be finally perched upon a mat of

artificial curls, which in their turn are stuck upon some head, the

brains of which are never troubled (if brains there are!) as to

whether their owners are encouraging the slaughter of thousands

and thousands of birds, the extinction of species.


The birds in Mrs. Johnstone’s new collection number just

one hundred.


Some of the species of Paradise Birds have already been

landed in this country this summer by Mr. Horsbrugh who has

been collecting for Sir William Ingram, but Mr. Goodfellow

brought with him two species new to aviculture ; the Superb

and d’ Alberti’s Paradise Birds, one male of each kind. Both

birds are in immature plumage.


The Superb ( Lophorina superba') male, when adult, has

the body of the colour and texture of the softest black velvet, a

large cape of the same, which can be erected over the head, lying

on the back ; whilst a marvellous gorget pointed outwards 011

either side of the breast, is of scintillating golden emerald green.


D’Aeberti’s Paradise Bird ( Drepanornis alberlisi ) is con¬

spicuous for its long and slender arched bill, and for the wonder¬

ful double fans covering flanks and thighs; which, glittering

with violet and green, can be spread out in the display.


Besides these two treasures, there are the following: —

The Marchese Raggi’s Paradise Bird ( Paradisea rag-

giana) of which there are four pairs and a single bird. Can these

be P. intermedia ? I wondered whether the side plumes were of



