Two Years Among New Guinea Cannibals PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVIII NOTES ON SOME BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA The Birds of Paradise--Remarkable Species observed--Native Names -- Play-Places -- Curious Habits--The Bower-Bird: Artist, Architect, and Gardener. CHAPTER XVIII NOTES ON SOME BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA New Guinea is remarkable for its paucity of mammals and its richness in birds. As we have already noted, at least 770 different species of birds are known, and to these doubtless many more will be added as the explorer ventures farther into the interior. The chief haunts of the blue bird-of-paradise, the Paradisomis Jtudolphi, are in Central British New Guinea, at an altitude of from 4000 to 6000 feet. There are about a dozen species of the bird-of-paradise, and at Mafulu we obtained the following, of which I give, where possible, the native name: -- Lophorina atra .... Wagoda. Epimachus magnus . . . Yawvee. Astrapia stephanias . . . Becbee. Parotia Lawsii .... Aliga. Diphyllodis speciosa . . Kellolo. Ptiloris magnifica . . Besides these we found two species of bower-bird-- Amblyornis subalaris. La urea lori. The limit of the king bird (Cicinnurus Regius) was at an elevation of about 1500 feet. It has a brilliant crimson back, the throat crimson, with a green band edged with another narrow band of crimson. The breast is white, the beak blue, two big tail feathers curve gracefully outwards, and end in spatulae of brilliant green on the upper side. There are also shortish plumes on each side ending in a band of green. At Ekeikei and Dinawa, but chiefly at Dinawa, were the playgrounds of the Diphyllodis magnified. 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...