BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA 
The breast is white, the beak blue, two big tail 
feathers curve gracefully outwards, and end in spatule 
of brilliant green on the upper side. There are also 
shortish plumes on each side ending in a band of 
oreen. 
At Ekeikei and Dinawa, but chiefly at Dinawa, 
were the playgrounds of the Diphyllodis magnifica. 
These were very remarkable. The bird chooses a 
fairly clear space among saplings ten or fifteen feet 
high. These it clears of leaves, and also the ground 
between, making all beautifully clean and _ level. 
There it dances, leaping from tree to tree, running 
along the ground for a little, and then taking to the 
branches again. Every movement is extraordinarily 
rapid. If any leaves are thrown into the enclosure 
the bird gets very angry, and flings them out by ae 
immediately. 
Sam told me that on the Kebea he had observed 
the play-place of the Parotia Lawsw, which is even 
more singular. The bird digs a hole, at least a foot 
in diameter, and over it places cross-sticks. Above 
these again it strews leaves and other vegetable refuse, 
and on the top of that it dances. Its playtime is the 
morning, but during the day it haunts the tops of the 
highest trees, and is consequently very difficult to 
come by. 
I was fortunate enough to be able to observe one 
of the latest and most wonderful discoveries among 
the birds-of-paradise, the Paradisornis Rudolpha, 
familiarly known as the blue bird-of-paradise. It 
feeds on the larve of beetles found in the umbrella 
head of the mountain pandanus. This tree has adven- 
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