FAUNA OF NEW GUINEA. 303 



these are remarkable for their beauty, original forms, and brilliant colours. Such 

 are the goura coronata, loveliest of the pigeon family ; the large black cockatoo 

 and the nasiterna, the "giant and dwarf" of this tribe; lastly, the marvellous 

 birds of paradise, called by the Malays the " birds of God," and formerly supposed 

 to live always on the wing, ever-soaring heavenwards. They were also believed 

 to have no feet, because the skins prej^ared for the Moluccan markets had the legs 

 amputated, and even Linnaeus gave the name of paradisea apada to the large 

 variety. The cassowary is also found in New Guinea, but birds of prey are 

 almost completely absent, and to this circumstance is due the development of so 

 many other species with gorgeous plumage. Amongst the numerous reptiles occurs 

 the curious choiidrop//fhon pidc/ier, which forms the transition between the American 

 boas and the pythons of Asia. Although the exploration of New Guinea is still 

 far from complete thousands of insects have been discovered, fully as remarkable as 

 the birds for their surprising wealth of forms and genera. 



Inhabitants of New Gvinea. 



The population of New Guinea, variously estimated at from half a million to 

 two millions, comprises a very large number of groups differing greatly from each 

 other in stature, complexion, shape of the skull and other physical features, as 

 well as in their usages and mental qualities. Several tribes approach the Indo- 

 nesian tyj)e, as found in Borneo and Celebes, while others resemble the Malays, 

 and are described by travellers as belonging to this race. Wallace, Virchow, 

 Hamy, d'Albertis, and other ethnologists also believe that the Negritoes are repre- 

 sented in New Guinea as a distinct race, and not merely as degenerate Papuans, 

 as supposed by A. B. Meyer and Miklukho Maklay. Communities of Polynesian 

 origin are also numerous, especially in the south-eastern districts, and endless 

 interminglings have taken place between contiguous groups. 



But, although there is no ethnical uniformity, as seemed probable from the 

 reports of the early explorers, the Papuan element, whence the great island takes 

 the name of Papuasia, certainly predominates over all others. This element is 

 found almost unmixed on some parts of the north coast, and according to several 

 authorities it even occurs in all parts of the Oceanic world. Formerly it reached 

 as far as Hawaii and New Zealand, where it has been replaced by the Polynesian 

 stock. 



This term Papua, said by Crawford to be derived from the Malay expression 

 piia-pua, that is, "black, black," is by most writers explained to mean "frizzly," 

 from the natural texture of the hair, the trait by which most strangers are arrested. 

 The natives give themselves no collective name, and the special appellations by 

 which the various tribes are known are usually found to be of topographical origin. 

 The languages, as numerous as the tribal groups, are sufficiently distinct in many 

 places to prevent the natives of neighbouring villages from understanding each 

 other. According to Lawes no less than twenty-five idioms are current along the 

 section of the southern seaboard stretching for about 300 miles to the east of Torres 



