HUNTING AND FISHING. 159 



however, I saw several skulls carelessly thrown away at the side of the footpath along the 

 shore. How they catch the animal, I do not know. 



In hunting opossums the people of H. B. make use of small arrows made from the 

 stems of sago leaves, no (N°. 745, 746), which are also used for shooting rats and mice. In 

 British N. G. they are driven into hunting nets, while on favourable occasions they are 

 speared (THOMSON [1892, 69]). 



Many b i r d s such as Cassowary, Megapodius, Goura, Rhyticeros, also Pteropus are 

 shot as well for their flesh as for other parts of the body, serving for practical use or orna- 

 ment. To hunt a cassowary does not seem to be without danger, at least the wounded bird 

 is more feared by a Papuan than a wounded boar (Van DlSSEL [io,04 a , 624]). Ample infor- 

 mation about the method of shooting différent species of birds is given by De CLERCQ and 

 Schmeltz [1893, 113 — 1 15], whilst Van der Goes [1858, 122] relates how on Kaimani Bay, Goura 

 is caught with snares. Not only do the Papuans exactly know the characteristic calls of the 

 différent sorts of birds, but they can also imitate them to perfection. Characteristic of the 

 cassowary is a sound like the beating of a large drum heard at a great distance, while the 

 Goura utters a peculiar breast sound : "krnm-krïîm". The bird of paradise, sometimes 

 caught with gum smeared over the branches of the trees (Chalmers [1885, 247]), at Bessir 

 on the south coast of Gemïn captured alive in snares (Haga [1884, II, 153]), is however 

 generally caught in the way described by WALLACE [1869, II, 151, frontispiece]. DE CLERCQ 

 and SCHMELTZ [1S93, 114] draw attention to the fact, that certain tall, blossoming trees are 

 chosen by the females in which also the maies gather. Thèse are the dancing trees THOMSON 

 [1S92, 68] spoke of; thèse trees once being known, the hunter is not obliged to ramble about 

 the woods. In Papua Tâlandjang Par adisea minor Shaw. is more fréquent; wherever the 

 primeval forest is pretty dry and consists more of foliage trees than of palm trees this bird is 

 found and what is very remarkable often chooses small, insignificant dancing trees. Under such 

 a tree on the south slope of the Cyclops Mountains, a Tobâdi man perfectly imitated the whist- 

 ling of the maie bird, trying to decoy jealous rivais. According to information got from the 

 natives, Paradisea minor is not found in the higher parts of thèse mountains. The arrows from 

 the stems of sago leaves damage the birds so little that the feathers and even whole parts 

 of the body and the head may be used on ornaments and weapons. The extensive trade in 

 the skins of Paradisea, however, has brought fire-arms into N. G. Some years ago a trial was 

 made in H. B. to give guns and munition on free loan to Papuans and to pay them for the 

 skins supplied, but thèse people, though soon becoming good marksmen, brought little profit 

 to the Ternatian tradesman-hunter and this made him go hunting himself. In the west part 

 old single-barrelled guns hâve been introduced, which are also used by the Manikion (figs. 3 

 and 42) for arms in time of war. The percussions they want for those muzzle-loaders are 

 often kept in bamboo cylinders (N°. 573). 



The présence and the trade of foreign hunters (mostly from Ternate) often cause 

 bloody fights with the natives. It was feared the birds of paradise would be extirpated and the diffé- 

 rent governments made restrictions about their being shot. This fear seems to me to be un- 

 grounded, considering the large part of N. G. where the birds are not hunted for trade and 

 considering the circumstance that as a rule the maies are shot only after being full-grown. 

 The disappearance of the birds of paradise in certain parts may sometimes be ascribed to 



