The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

—XXXVIII.] THE BIRDS OF PARADISE. 43728. Ptiloris paradisea. The Rifle Bird. East Au/;tralia.29. PriLORis Victoria. Queeu Victoria's Rifle Bird. North-EastAustralia.30. Ptiloris (CraspedojyJwra) intcrccdcns . A species from Soutli-EastNew Guinea, very closely allied to P. magnifica.31. AsTRAPiA NIGRA. The Paradise Pie. Arfak Mountains, North-West New Guinea.32. Paradigalla carunculata. The Carunculated Paradise Pie.Arfak Mountains.The following species are so distinct from any previously known as torequire to be placed in New Genera:33. Drepanomis Alhertisi. \ These are a group of rather small34. Drepanomis cervinicauda. \ and not highly ornamented birds from35. Drepanomis Brmjni. ) various parts of New Guinea.36. AstrarcMa Stcphanice. A splendid bird from the Owen StanleyMountains, allied to the Paradise Pie.37. Paradisornis EudolpJd. Horseshoe Mountains in South-East NewGuinea. This is the most remarkable and most beautiful addition yetmade to the Birds of Paradise. It is small, but distinguished by its brightblue side-plumes, and lengthened middle tail feathers with small bluespatulate tijjs.Some authors also include the brilliantly-coloured birds of the generaManucodia and Phonygama (of which six species are now known) amongthe Paradise birds, but as these have none of them any accessory plumesthey seem to go better with the jays or crows.We see, therefore, that of the thirty-seven species which seemto deserve a place among the Birds of Paradise^ twenty-sevenare known to inhabit the great ishmd of New Guinea. But ifwe consider those islands which are now united to New Guineaby a shallow sea to really form a part of it, we shall find thattwenty- three of the Paradise Birds belong to that country, whilethree inhabit the northern and eastern parts of Australia, andone the IMoluccas. All the more extraordinary and magnificentspecies are, however, entirely confined to the Papaan region.Although I devoted so much time to a search after thesewonderful birds, I only succeeded myself in obtaining fivespecies during a residence of many months in the Aru Islands,New Guinea, and Waigiou. Mr. Allen's voyage to Mysol didnot procure a single additional species, but we both heard ofa place called Sorong, on the mainland of New Guinea, near8alwatty, where we were told that all the kinds we desiredcould be obtained. We therefore determined that he shouldvisit this place, and endeavour to penetrate into the interioramong the natives, who actually shoot and skin the Birds ofParadise. He went in the small prau I had fitted up at Goram,and through the kind assistance of the Dutch Resident atTernate, a lieutenant and two soldiers were sent by the Sultanof Tidore to accompany and j^rotect him, and to assist him ingetting men and in visiting the interior.Notwithstanding these precautions, Mr. Allen met witli ditH-