182 N. Wharton-Tigar—Notes from the London Zoo


Six-plumed, Parotia helenae. To get these he had to get to the mountains

at the head of the Waria River, South-East New Guinea ; this entailed

chartering a plane for the first 100 miles and then a two daj^’s journey

to the higher mountains where at 8,000 feet these birds are found. The

Orange Wattled Bird of Paradise is extremely rare and only two

specimens were obtained, one dead which was skinned and brought

home and one very fine male now in the Zoo—a glorious thing and

everyone who can should make a point of seeing it.


The Helense Six-plumed is similar to Lawes but has old gold

colour above the beak, instead of silver white, and on this account

is perhaps a little less attractive. The six males and one female

all arrived in fine condition. I may mention that this variety is

found only in a very small area. I hear that the natives in this high

mountain district are quite detestable, a crafty, savage, and primitive

people, indulging in revolting orgies ; in fact, Mr. Shaw Mayer was quite

glad when the time came to leave them.


Besides the two above-named Birds of Paradise, never brought

alive to this country before, he brought some very perfect specimens

of the Lesser Supurb ( Lophouria superba latipennis), Princess Stephanie’s

Bird of Paradise (Astrapia stephaniae), Mayers Sickle-billed Bird of

Paradise ( Epimachus meyen), a young Rifle Bird ( Plilorhis magnified),

a few of the very beautiful Hunsteins Magnificent Bird of Paradise

(.Biphyllodes magnificus hunsteini), differing from the ordinary form

in having the back a glorious deep orange, and he again brought one

male Empress of Germany’s Bird of Paradise ( Paradisaea augustae-

victoriae), the only other specimen brought in 1931 is still in fine con¬

dition at the Zoo where he often delights us by his fine display.


Another interesting though not so beautiful bird brought was the

Gardener Bower Bird ( Amblyornis inornatus). This species of Gardener

Bird builds a circle wall of sticks with a centre column and lines the

floor with moss, the two males and one female are all in the Zoo.


There was also a very tame Fawn-breasted Bower-Bird ( Chamy -

dera cerviniventris), a hand reared large Wood Swallow ( Artamus

maximus), a Large-eyed Honeyeater (Melidictes torquata) , three absolutely

new varieties of Munias, some pairs of Goodfellows Parrot Finch,

a very large variety of the well-known Blue-faced Parrot Finch,



