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An Old Australian Bird Lover,



forming to minor regulations. After having absented themselves

from the village the women will carry their food (taro and bananas),

leaving it on the track unseen by the men. The birds are caught in

their dancing-tree with snares, the most favourable method being a

double slipknot placed around a limb of the branch of the tree in

such a way that when the bird gets his foot into the noose the cord

tightens on to it, and releasing itself from the branch leaves the

bird dangling. Another way is to spread a fine meshed net a little

below the dancing birds, which, when frightened, will fly downward

towards the under scrub and thus become entangled in the net.

The Six-wired also dances, and like the Magnificent performs on a

ledge on the ground. The Long-tailed Bird of Paradise dances on

vines which spread from tree to tree, using them in the same way as

children would a swing. The natives, knowing the bird’s dancing-

vine, build a little hut or shelter close by, and when the bird dances

and is unconscious of its surroundings they grab it by the tail, the

feathers of which are so tightly wedged into the body that they with¬

stand the struggles which follow.


Mr. Ward got his Blue Birds of Paradise 6000 ft. high in

very hostile country, and says the natives there are the most super¬

stitious he ever met with in New Guinea. Whilst he was able to

make himself understood amongst the tribes lower down in the Motu

language, a sort of Esperanto in New Guinea, he found here the

greatest difficulties, and even his interpreter left much to be desired.

To make the natives understand the kind of bird he wanted he drew

and painted the Blue Bird, noting the exclamations of the natives

when they saw it. In this wise he learned the native name for it,

being “ Manika.” He stayed in this village for several weeks, but

neither presents of tobacco, knives, tomahawks, nor the much-valued

of all, “ salt,” could induce the natives to catch the much longed-for

Blue Bird for him. Eventually, he decided to make use of their

superstition, and coiling a large snake around his neck, walked

through the village. He tells me that the effect of this trick upon

the natives was most comical. The street emptied itself as if by

magic, no native being visible. He then instructed his interpreter to

tell them that the snake was his brother, and that he had decided to

depart but leave his brother behind, and as he had many cousins he



