New Guinea in search of Paradise-birds. 
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not appeal to any native. Pity does not enter into their con¬ 
siderations concerning anything they capture, and to prevent 
escape their victim, whether a grasshopper or one of their own 
kith and kin, usually has the legs broken. Single examples 
were brought to us of Lophorhina minor , Pitta mackloti, 
and Rhectes dichrous , but owing to rough treatment at the 
hands of their captors these fine birds died within a day or 
so of reaching us. The same remark applies to a pair of 
exquisite Pigmy Parrots (Nasiterna) , which to my great 
annoyance had been put in a cage with some large Pigeons, 
a Cat-bird, and other species, and were therefore only just alive 
when they reached camp. Although the missionaries at 
Dilava had obtained for us many of the vernacular names of 
various birds, we supplemented them by a small collection of 
drawings of such species as we imagined might be found in 
the locality. These pictures were a source of great interest 
to the villagers, and were so readily recognised that we were 
supplied with examples of several of the birds that were 
portrayed for their guidance. One of the Bower-birds 
[JEluroedus melanocephalus) which we were rather anxious to 
possess, and which, as we were given to understand, was not 
uncommon, was shortly afterwards added to our acquisitions, 
but only six specimens of it came in. A few examples of 
Amblyornis subalaris and Phonygama purpureo-violacea and 
a single P. chalybeata also increased our collection. The 
first-named were delicate and we had very great difficulty in 
keeping a couple of the females alive; but the Manucodes 
were as strong as Parotia lawesi, and soon developed 
murderous tendencies towards each other, necessitating 
separate cages. The villagers one day brought me a young 
Cassowary, and we were rather puzzled for some time as to 
where we should keep it. We got our boys to construct a 
large run, which they quickly completed, and into this we 
put our captive, feeding it daily on figs, rice, and sweet- 
potatoes. But it ultimately escaped and the search-parties 
failed to recapture it. The natives called it “ Coco-Coco ” 
and Veo.” To our mammal-series we added several 
specimens of the Three-striped Phalanger ( Dactylopsila 
