12. Ptiloris magnifiea (The Scale-breasted Paradise Bird). New Guinea.
13.. Ptiloris alberti (Prince Albert’s Paradise Bird). North Australia.
14. Ptiloris paradisea (The Rifle Bird). East Australia.
15. Ptiloris victorhe (The Victorian Rifle Bird). North-East Australia.
16. Astrapia nigra (The Paradise Pie). New Guinea.
17. Paradigalla carunculata (The Carunculated Paradise Pie). New
Guinea.
18. (?) Sericulus aureus (The Paradise Oriole). New Guinea, Salwatty.
"We see, therefore, that of the eighteen species which
seem to deserve a place among the Birds of Paradise,"
eleven are known to inhabit the great island of New
Guinea, eight of which are-entirely confined to it and the
hardly separated island of Salwatty. Bnt if we consider
those islands which are now united to New Guinea by a
' shallow sea to really form a part of it, we shall find that
fourteen of the Paradise Birds belong to that country,
while three inhabit the northern and eastern parts of
Australia, and one the Moluccas. All the more extraordinary
and magnificent species are, however, entirely
confined to the Papuan region.
Although I devoted so much time to a search after
these wonderful birds, I only succeeded myself in obtaining
five species during a residence of many months in the
Aru Islands, New Guinea, and Waigiou. Mr. Allen’s
voyage to Mysol did not procure a single additional
species, hut we both heard of a place called Sorong, on
the mainland of New Guinea, near Salwatty, where we
were told that all the kinds we desired could be obtained.
We therefore determined that he should visit this place,
and endeavour to penetrate into the interior among the
natives, who actually shoot and skin the Birds of Paradise.
He went in the small prau I had fitted up at Goram,
and through the kind assistance of the Dutch Besident
at Ternate, a lieutenant and two soldiers were sent by
the Sultan of Tidore to accompany and protect him,
and to assist him in getting men and in visiting the
interior.
Notwithstanding these precautions, Mr. Allen met with
difficulties in this voyage which we had neither of us
encountered before. To understand these, it is necessary
to consider that the Birds of Paradise are an article of
commerce, and are the monopoly of the chiefs of the
coast villages, who obtain them at a low rate from the
mountaineers, and sell them to the Bugis traders. A
portion is also paid every year as tribute to the Sultan of
Tidore. The natives are therefore very jealous of a
stranger, especially a European, interfering in their trade,
and above all of going into the interior to deal with the
mountaineers themselves. They of course think he will
raise the prices in the interior, and lessen the supply on
the coast, greatly to their disadvantage; they also think
their tribute will be raised if a European takes back a
quantity of the rare sorts ; and they have besides a vague