CHAP, xxxvi.] THE RED BIRD OF PARADISE. 351 



There was no more sleep for us that night, and the next 

 day our roof -was again taken to pieces, and we came to 

 the conclusion that the fault was a want of slope enough 

 in the roof for mats, although it would be sufficient for 

 the usual attap thatch. I therefore purchased a few new 

 and some old attaps, and in the parts these would not 

 cover we put the mats double, and then at last had the 

 satisfaction of finding our roof tolerably water-tight. 



I was now able to begin working at the natural history 

 of the island. When I first arrived I was surprised at 

 being told that there were no Paradise Birds at Muka, 

 although there were plenty at Bessir, a place where the 

 natives caught them and prepared the skins. I assured 

 the people I had heard the cry of these birds close to 

 the village, but they would not believe that I could 

 know their cry. However, the very first time I went 

 into the forest I not only heard but saw them, and 

 was convinced there were plenty about; but they were 

 very shy, and it was some time before we got any. My 

 hunter first shot a female, and I one day got very close to 

 a fine male. He was, as I expected, the rare red species, 

 Paradisea rubra, which alone inhabits this island, and is 

 found nowhere else. He was quite low down, running 

 along a bough searching for insects, almost like a wood- 

 pecker, and the long black riband-like filaments in his 

 tail himg down in the most graceful double omtyq imagiii- 



