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 spatulæ 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 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 again immediately.
Sam told me that on the Kebea he had observed the play-place of the Parotia Lawsii, 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 Rudolphi, familiarly known as the blue bird of paradise. It feeds on the larvæ of beetles found in the umbrella head of the mountain pandanus. This tree has adventitious roots which spring clear of the ground to a height of sixty feet, and then throw out flag leaves in the shape of an umbrella. From the umbrella top hang fine clusters of scarlet fruit. The decomposition of the vegetable matter at the point where the leaves stretch out gives refuge to the pupæ of beetles of many diverse species, and these prove a great attraction to the blue bird of paradise, who finds them excellent eating. The bird is about the size of a jay, and is very gorgeous. The upper part of its wings is a sky blue; the side plumes are in gradations of brilliant greenish blue and ultramarine; when the plumes are spread there is also a band of brown feathers. The head resembles that of the common crow, but is smaller. From the upper part of the tail spring two elongated feathers with two light-blue spatulæ at the tips. In the same pandanus tree lives also the Astrapia stephaniæ, remarkable for its long tail, with two violet feathers and a white shaft. The upper part of this bird’s breast is a most brilliant green, with a band of copper below. In one light it appears shaded with violet. The back of the head is violet with gold iridescence. The whole length of the bird is 2 feet 6 inches.
Equally wonderful is the bower-bird, at once gardener, architect, and artist. Not only does it build the most extraordinary nest known to naturalists—a long, tunnel-like bower framed like a delicate Gothic arch, but it actually lays out a garden. I have myself seen the creature’s marvellous achievement. It has definite colour-sense, for it picks the blossoms of orchids, and arranges them in alternate lines of mauve and white. The whole impulse is, of course, the universal one of love, for among its rows of flowers it dances to its mate. This was probably the prettiest and most fascinating of all the sights provided by nature in New Guinea, that land of surprises.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX I
NEW LEPIDOPTERA DISCOVERED DURING THE EXPEDITION
| Species. | Place. | Season. |
|---|---|---|
| Dicalleneura ekeikei, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | March and April |
| Gunda kebea, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea | March to April |
| Pseudodreata strigata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | .... |
| Tarsolepis sommeri dinawensis, sub-spec. nov. | Dinawa | .... |
| Pseudogargetta diversa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | May and June |
| Osica turneri, spec. nov. | Dinawa; Ekeikei | August and September; January and February |
| Cascera bella, spec. nov. | Dinawa and Mount Kebea; Ekeikei | .... |
| Hirsutopalpis fasciata, spec. nov. | Ekeikei; Dinawa | January and February; August |
| Omichlis hampsoni, spec. nov. | Dinawa | May and June |
| Omichlis dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Omichlis ochracea, spec. nov. | Ekeikei and Mount Kebea | .... |
| Omichlis griseola, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January and February |
| Omichlis pratti, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January and February |
| Omichlis rufofasciata, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea | March or April |
| Stauropus viridissimus, spec. nov. | Dinawa; Ekeikei | March and April |
| Stauropus kebeæ, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea | March and April |
| Stauropus dubiosus, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea; Ekeikei | A series taken in March and April; January to March |
| Stauropus bella, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January and February |
| Stauropus dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | .... |
| Stauropus pratti, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | .... |
| Notodonta irrorati viridis, spec. nov. | Dinawa | May and June |
| Cerura multipunctata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | May and June |
| Thyatira dinawa | Dinawa | September |
| Thyatira ekeikei, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January and February |
| Parazeuzera celæna, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Parazeuzera aurea, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Scopelodes dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Scopelodes nitens, spec. nov. | Dinawa | .... |
| Birthama dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | .... |
| Contheyla pratti, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Contheyla ekeikei, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | March and April |
| Contheyla birthama, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January and February |
| Dinawa rufa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | July and September |
| Dinawa nigricans, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and September |
| Pygmæomorpha modesta, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Pygmseomorpha brunnea, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Lasiolimacos pratti, spec. nov. | Dinawa; Ekeikei | August and September; January and February |
| Lasiolimacos kenricki, spec. nov. | Dinawa | .... |
| Lasiolimacos ferruginea, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January to February |
| Euproctis rubroradiata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and March |
| Euproctis pratti, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Euproctis irregularis, spec. nov. | Dinawa; Aroa River | September |
| Euproctis albociliata, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January |
| Euproctis novaguinensis, spec. nov. | Ekeikei; Mount Kebea | .... |
| Euproctis sublutea, spec. nov. | Dinawa; Mount Kebea | June and July; March and April |
| Diversosexus bicolor, spec. nov. | Dinawa | .... |
| Anthela ekeikei, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | .... |
| Dasychira subnigra, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Dasychira subnigropunctata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Dasychira brunnea, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Dasychira minor, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Dasychira kenricki | Dinawa | June to August |
| Dasychiroides obsoleta, spec. nov. | Owen Stanley range | .... |
| Dasychiroides nigrostrigata, spec. nov. | Dinawa and generally distributed | .... |
| Dasychiroides pratti, spec. nov. | Dinawa; Ekeikei | July and August; January and February |
| Dasychiroides bicolora, spec. nov. | Dinawa; Mount Kebea | |
| Dasychiroides brunneostrigata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | .... |
| Lymantria ekeikei, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January and February |
| Lymantria kebea, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea | .... |
| Imaus niveus, spec. nov. | Ekeikei and Mount Kebea | March and April |
| Imaus spodea, spec. nov. | Dinawa; Ekeikei and Mount Kebea | August; March and April |
| Imaus aroa, spec. nov | Aroa River | January |
| Nervicompressa unistrigata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | July to September |
| Nervicompressa lunulata | Dinawa | August |
| Nervicompressa albomaculata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Nervicompressa dubia, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Nervicompressa kebea, spec. nov. | Kebea | March and April |
| Nervicompressa aroa, spec. nov. | Aroa River | ..... |
| Lasiochra pulchra, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and September |
| Squamosala nigrostigmata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Taragama dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | Taken in May and June, and again in August and September |
| Taragama rubiginea, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Taragama proserpina, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Arguda pratti, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January |
| Isostigena bicellata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | Taken in May and again in August |
| Sporostigena uniformis, spec. nov. | Dinawa | ..... |
| Odonestis centralistrigata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Caviria dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Porthesia ekeikei, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | March to April |
| Euproctis swinhœi, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea | March to April |
| Euproctis virginea, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January to April |
| Euproctis parallelaria, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and September |
| Euproctis kebea, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea | March |
| Euproctis dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | ..... |
| Euproctis yulei, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Imaus pratti, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and September |
| Deilemera kebea, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea | March and April |
| Deilemera dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and September |
| Deilemera pratti, spec. nov. | Owen Stanley range | September and March and April |
| Mænas punctatostrigata, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea; Dinawa | August and March and April |
| Diacrisia pratti, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea; Dinawa | March and April; August |
| Diacrisia dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Diacrisia kebea, spec. nov. | Kebea | March and April |
| Celama fuscibasis, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Celama aroa, spec. nov. | Dinawa; Aroa River | January and February |
| Acatapaustus basifusca, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September and January |
| Acatapaustus ekeikei, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | March |
| Scoliacma hampsoni, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Nishada melanopa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | June to July |
| Acco bicolora, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and February |
| Pseudilema dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and September |
| Ilema ekeikei, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | January and February |
| Ilema dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and September |
| Ilema costistrigata, spec. nov. | Ekeikei | August and September |
| Ilema unicolora, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Ilema hades, spec. nov. | Dinawa | .... |
| Ilema nivea, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Chrysæglia bipunctata, spec. nov. | Mount Kebea; type, Dinawa | March and April; August |
| Œonistis bicolora, spec. nov. | Dinawa | May to June |
| Macaduma bipunctata, spec. nov. | Dinawa, type; Ekeikei | August |
| Halone flavopunctata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Chionæma dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Chionæma charybdis, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Cleolosia aroa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Asura ochreomaculata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Asura flaveola, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Asura brunneofasciata, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and September |
| Asura unicolora, spec. nov. | Dinawa | September |
| Asura sagittaria, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Asura rosacea, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Asura dinawa, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Eugoa tricolora, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Eugoa conflua, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August and September |
| Amphoraceras rothschildi | Dinawa | August |
| Parabasis pratti, spec. nov. | Dinawa | August |
| Collusa ekeikei, spec. nov. | Ekeikei; Mount Kebea | January and February; March and April |
APPENDIX II
A NEW REPTILE FROM DINAWA
Toxicocalamus Stanleyanus