AUG 1:6 G1966

BIB ':DS -OF: THEt MIDDLE XSEIP1K RE-GION, NEW-GUINEA RESULTS. OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY EXPEDITION TO :; NEW GUINEA IN 1953-1954

E. THOMAS GILLIARD AND MARY L-ECI :)Y

_~ ~ ~ ~~W YOR 196

BIRDS OF THE MIDDLE SEPIK REGION, NEW GUINEA

RESULTS OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY EXPEDITION TO NEW GUINEA IN 1953-1954

E. THOMAS GILLIARD Late Curator, Department of Ornithology The American Museum of Natural History MARY LECROY Research Assistant Department of Ornithology The American Museum of Natural History

BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOLUME 132: ARTICLE 4 NEW YORK: 1966 BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Volume 132, article 4, pages 245-276, figure 1 Issued August 15, 1966 Price: $1.00 a copy INTRODUCTION AT THE DEATH OF E. Thomas Gilliard, on ed. Some of these observations are included January 26, 1965, the present report existed in this report. in rough manuscript form. The notes on each species are published as they were originally COLLECTING LOCALITIES extracted by Gilliard from his field journal, and Kanganaman village, the base camp of the persons referred to in these extracts are E. 1953-1954 expedition, is situated in riverine Thomas and Margaret Gilliard, who made up forest on the north bank of the Sepik River, the expedition in the field. The junior author 190 miles from the mouth, and is on ground was not a member of the expedition but only inches above that covered by the Sepik assisted Gilliard in the laboratory with this in its normal high-flood stage in April. Swamp- collection. She has edited the report with lands behind Kanganaman are flooded in the regard to laboratory work and has compiled wet season from December to April, and the present short introduction from notes paths, which are foot paths during the dry left by the senior author. season, are at this time navigable by native The species herein reported comprise a col- canoe. Mosquitoes present a terrible problem; lection of some 400 study skins and 65 pick- they are always present in tremendous num- led specimens obtained during the period bers, with daily peak periods just after dusk from December 1, 1953, through March 3, and at dawn. A collector in this area must be 1954, on the middle Sepik River, New Guinea supplied with a netted house of the very finest (see fig. 1). weave and with a sufficient supply of insect ITINERARY repellent. Palimbai village was visited by the expedi- December 1 Kopar village, mouth of Sepik tion many times. This village is across the River December 2 Kopar village to Marienberg Sepik and is situated on the banks of a long, December 4 Marienberg to Angoram narrow baret (a more or less permanent chan- December 10 Angoram, Yuarama, Kam- nel through floating vegetation; sometimes brindu to Krinjambi called a barad) leading southward from the December 11 Krinjambi, Kanduwanam, main Sepik River. This village and Kangana- Tambanum to Timbunki man are two of the several villages upon December 12 Timbunki to Kanganaman which Gregory Bateson's book "Naven" December 12 to (1936) was based. At another time, one day February 27 Kanganaman village, base was spent at Malingai village, which is camp via the same baret January 16 Palimbai reached and Malingai January 18 Soatmeri Lake. January 25-27 Aibom and Kararau Soatmeri village, 205 miles from the Sepik January 28-29 Malingai delta and one hour and 40 minutes by February 8-9 Gaikarobi motorboat upstream from Kanganaman, was February 27 Kanganaman to Mindabit the farthest point from the mouth of the February 28 Mindabit, Timbunki, to Yuat river visited by the expedition. River and Branda village A three-day trip was made to Aibom and March 1 Branda to Angoram Kararau. Aibom is reached via Kamalio March 2 Angoram, Marienberg to baret on the south side of the Sepik River and Kopar downstream about 40 minutes by motor March 3 Kopar to Wewak dinghy from Kanganaman. Kamalio barel Ten years later, April 11-15, 1964, during opens out into Chambri Lake in which float a canoe trip down the Sepik from Ambunti masses of water lilies and rafts of grass, up to (approximately 300 miles from the delta) to one-half mile in diameter. Aibom is near the Kanganaman and then to Angoram, orni- banks of this large lake and is the focal point thological observations were made by the of pottery making on the Sepik. Kararau was senior author, but no specimens were collect- visited on the return to Kanganaman. It is on 247 248 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132

FIG. 1. A. Sepik River, showing the total area covered by the expedition. B. Enlargement of the area between Tambanum and Pagwi, showing the main collecting localities. the north side of the river, about 40 minutes water may be very scarce. Gaikarobi is a downstream from Kamalio baret and about 6 trading vaillage which supplies many villages miles from the main channel, on the banks of with sak-sak, a starch staple. In return the an old channel. river-edge villages supply fish to Gaikarobi. Gaikarobi village is situated north of Kan- During the descent of the river in Febru- ganaman on the edge of the swamplands ary, a short side trip was made up the Yuat which separate the riverine forest from the River, on the south side of the Sepik, to middle Sepik grassland plain (for a more com- Branda village, where navigation ceases for plete account of this area, see Reiner and all but small boats. Robbins, 1964). It is well concealed and is Angoram and Marienberg were stopovers reached by paths cleared by natives or by on the lower Sepik, during both ascent and dugout canoe. In February, with the Sepik descent of the river. Each is situated on a within 22 feet of overflowing its highest banks, heavily forested ridge approximately 200 feet the paths were usually so flooded that the high rising along the north bank of the river. entire distance could be traversed by dugout Between these localities (about 7 miles above (a five-hour trip). During the dry season Marienberg) is the Marienberg Mission log- (June to November) the entire region, except ging camp of Mamber. This area is covered perhaps some of the grassland immediately with original forest of first quality, and these north of Kanaganaman, can probably be three localities comprise the only high ground walked over. As a matter of fact, drinking along the Sepik from its mouth to Ambunti 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 249 (some 300 miles) at the head of the main region. A few of these specimens are in the river. They are also the only villages that American Museum of Natural History. have European settlements. Since the American Museum expedition In 1964 ornithological observations were herein reported, there have been two other made by the senior author on the Sepik ornithological surveys in the area. The Divi- between Ambunti and Angoram. At this peri- sion of Wildlife Research of the Common- od, near the end of the wet season, the river wealth Scientific and Industrial Research was in high-flood stage. At Kanganaman, in Organization in collaboration with the John December, 1953, the expedition camp had Curtin School of Medical Research, Aus- been placed on a bank 17 feet above the river tralian National University, has made four surface. In April, 1964, this bank averaged 3 collections in the middle Sepik region near inches above the surface. Birds were scarce, Maprik and Pagwi and along the main river. perhaps because the river was overflowing its Mr. W. B. Hitchcock has most kindly sup- banks and most perching areas were covered plied the following information concerning with water. About 100 floating islands (vary- this survey. The dates and collectors are as ing in size from 10 feet in diameter to about follows: May and November, 1962, W. B. 150 feet long by 30 feet wide) were observed Hitchcock; May and June, 1963, K. Keith; in the rapidly flowing water. Very few birds October and November, 1964, W. H. Ewers; were observed on such islands. April and May, 1965, W. B. Hitchcock. In all, 73 species were obtained; these are de- HISTORY OF COLLECTING posited in the Division of Wildlife Research, ON THE SEPIK RIVER Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Re- The first ornithologist to visit the Sepik search Organization. region was Karl Hunstein, who, as a membe r In 1963, Philip Temple made a survey of of the first German expedition to the Sepik, the avifauna of the Sepik Valley for the collected on the lower and middle Sepik in Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu. 1887. He ascended the Sepik to approximately the location of Ambunti and also collected in ACKNOWLEDGMENTS what is now called the Hunstein Range, The Gilliards were extended many courte- south of Ambunti. His specimens are in the sies by numerous people in New Guinea. In Zoologisches Museum der Humboldt-Univer- particular, Sir Donald M. Cleland, the Admin- sitit, Berlin. istrator of Papua and the Territory of New The next ornithological collection was Guinea, by his personal interest and his coop- made by L. Schultze-Jena in 1910. He col- eration and aid, contributed much to the lected in western Kaiser Wilhelmsland (now success of the expedition. Mr. Alan Roberts, Territory of New Guinea), but apparently then Acting Chief of Government Services; many of his specimens were lost. The remain- Mr. Sydney Elliott-Smith, District Commis- der are in Berlin. sioner; and Mr. Jock McGregor, Patrol Offi- In 1912 and 1913, Burgers made a compre- cer at Angoram, were also very helpful. Those hensive collection of 240 species (3100 speci- assisting with transportation were Mr. Les mens) mostly on the middle and mid-upper Ingle, captain of the M. V. "Kulau"; Mr. Sepik, although some were collected on excur- Johnnie Young of the M. V. "Glenidol"; Mr. sions into nearby mountains. These speci- George Elias of the M. V. "Poppy"; and mens are also in Berlin. (For an account of Father Jilek of the M. V. "Marova." Others this collection, see Stresemann, 1923.) who helped in various ways were Mr. N. D. In May, 1929, the Crane Pacific Expedition Bartlett; Mr. Hugh C. ("Shanghai") Brown; (W. A. Weber and F. C. Wonder) visited Mr. Claude Champion; Mr. Fred Eichhorn; Marienberg and the Keram River and Mr. and Mrs. Peter England; Dr. Charles obtained a small collection of birds. These are Haszler; Mr. Don Henderson; Father Kowal- in the Chicago Natural History Museum ski; Mr. Lee, Chief of Customs, Port (see Mayr and Camras, 1938). Moresby; Mr. Chu Leong; Mr. Nicholas In February, 1930, the Eichhorn brothers Minster; Mr. and Mrs. E. D. Robinson; collected specimens in the middle Sepik Father Otto Shelly; Mr. Thomas Warburton; 250 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 and Mr. Peter Wenkie, Assistant District Guinea. Small collections of mammals and of Officer, Ambunti. The assistance of these reptiles and amphibians were turned over to friends and of others too numerous to men- the appropriate departments of the American tion is hereby most gratefully acknowledged. Museum for identification. Financial support for this expedition was LIST OF SPECIES REPRESENTED generously furnished by the National Geo- BY PICKLED SPECIMENS graphic Society, the American Museum of of Natural the C. R. Vose Explora- Phalacrocorax melanoleucos melanoleucos' History, Notophoyx picata tion Fund of the Explorers Club, and the Egretta intermedia plumifera Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund. Dendrocygna guttata The junior author wishes to thank all those Megapodius freycinet affinis persons who have helped in the preparation Rallina tricolor tricolor' of this manuscript for publication, after the Actitis hypoleucos death of Dr. Gilliard. In particular she wishes Chlidonias hybrida fluviatilis to thank Mrs. Gilliard for reading the Intro- Ptilinopus coronulatus quadrigeminus duction and adding information from her notes Megaloprepria magnifica septentrionalis and for her support and encouragement. To Goura victoria beccarii Dr. Dean Amadon special thanks are due for Micropsitta pusio beccarii Probosciger aterrimus stenolophus the many hours he has spent on the original Ninox connivens assimilis manuscript; without his help this paper would Podargus papuensis not have been possible. She also wishes to Dacelo gaudichaud thank Mrs. Margaret Hanson for her help in Tanysiptera galatea meyeri the preparation of the manuscript. Merops philippinus salvadorii Hirundo tahitica frontalis NATIVE ASSISTANTS Coracina papuensis papuensis Todopsis cyanocephala dohertyi The team of native assistants was composed Gerygone magnirostris atJinis of seven men from the village of Kanganaman: Rhipidura leucothorax leucothorax Rambur, Mava, Avaran, Tsimbat, Pono, Rhipidura rufiventris gularis Kranchungo, and Matasava. These men were Rhipidura leucophrys melaleuca trained in expedition hunting methods and in Monarcha alecto chalybeocephalus the technique of skinning birds. They proved Pitohui ferrugineus ferrugineus very capable, and some accompanied the Aplonis metallica metallica senior author on several subsequent expedi- Mino dumonti dumonti tions to New Guinea and New Britain. Oriolus szalayi Cracticus cassicus cassicus DISPOSITION OF SPECIMENS Dicrurus hottentottus carbonarius Seleucides ignotus auripennis All specimens that were collected are in the Paradisaea minorfinschi American Museum of Natural History except Nectarinia sericea sericea that one example of each species is deposited Nectarinia jugularis frenata with the Department of Agriculture, Stock Xanthotis chrysotis philemon and Fisheries, Port Moresby, Papua, in Lichmera alboauricularis olivacea accordance with the terms of permits issued Philemon novaeguineae jobiensis to the expedition by the Department of Cus- Lonchura grandis ernesti toms of Papua and the Territory of New I No study skins. ANNOTATED LIST OF BIRDS OF THE MIDDLE SEPIK RIVER VERNACULAR ENGLISH NAMES are given for over our netted tent) and was there caught by each species, and native names are given after hand. Akus, who made the capture, informed a semicolon. All measurements are in milli- me that cormorants frequently fly to lights at meters and weights in grams unless otherwise night and that it is common practice on the indicated. The names of species observed but Sepik for the natives to build large fires along not collected are enclosed in brackets. In a few the shores to attract the cormorants. When cases, specimens were collected at Wewak on conditions are right they are said to fly di- the north coast of New Guinea and are so rectly into the flames. Not 10 minutes after noted in the accounts of the relevant species. Akus had made his capture, Avaran appeared in camp with another live cormorant which, CASUARIIDAE he said, had just flown into his house, drawn [Casuarius unappendiculatus ssp.?] there by his kerosene lamp. This recalls the SINGLE-WATTLED CASSOWARY; AMIAH use of fires to lure in and catch Pterodroma In April, 1964, a pet of this species was hasitata in the mountains of Hispaniola observed at Kanganaman village. It was (Wingate, 1964, p. 154). brown, approximately 3 feet tall, and had the Phalacrocorax melanoleucos melanoleucos naked portions of the head pale yellow. A (Vieillot) single pallid wattle about i inch long hung from the fore neck. This bird had been taken LITTLE PIED CORMORANT; MAP-MA at Gaikarobi six to eight months before, when Pickled specimen. the adult accompanying two chicks through Several flocks of up to 18 individuals were the forest was shot. observed flying over the Sepik River at sunset. PODICIPIDAE ANHINGIDAE Podiceps novaehollandiae incola Mayr Anhinga rufa papua Rand LITTLE GREBE; GONYAV AUSTRALIAN ANHINGA OR DARTER; GIRAN Weight: Male, 199. A not uncommon, solitary species in Cham- Not uncommon on inland lakes. Reported bri Lake and in lagoons bordering the Sepik by Sepik natives to nest on mounds of float- River. ing vegetation in Chambri Lake from Decem- ARDEIDAE ber through February. Podiceps novaehol- landiae is readily distinguishable from P. Notophoyx picata (Gould) ruficollis tricolor by the smaller bill and PIED HERON; KOWHAT darker, less extensive patches on the neck. Weight: Male, 247, approximately 280; PHALACROCORACIDAE female, 225, 242. This was the commonest heron in the mid- Phalacrocorax sulcirostris (Brandt) dle Sepik region. It was often seen on grass LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT; MAN islands and logs that drifted past our camp at Wing: Male, 249; females, 236, 240. Kanganaman, and sometimes it occurred Abundant in the middle Sepik region, at along the river in flocks. least between December and March. In Egretta alba modesta (Gray) April, 1964, this species appeared much rarer. About 8:00 P.M., January 21, at Kangana- GREATER EGRET; SOWOUN man, a black cormorant crashed into the Fairly common along the grassy edges of coconut trees which grew around our skinning inland rivers and swamps. tent, a few feet from the river's edge. After Egretta intermedia plumifera (Gould) changing its perch several times and crashing about, it landed within the superstructure of LESSER EGRET; SOWOUN our shed (a covering of morata palm built Iris palest yellow to yellow; bill golden 251 252 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 yellow; feet black; skin on face citron yellow. Sepik near our base camp. In late December Molt: Medium general (one); heavy general and January at least six live Dendrocygna (one, testes enlarged). ducklings were seen in the hands of Kangana- Common. Often encountered alone or in man village children, who valued them as small flocks along the edges of the swiftly pets. flowing Sepik or just back from the river along the barets and on rafts (congo) of Anas superciliosa pelewensis Hartlaub and Finsch buoyant vegetation. Rambur reported that BLACK DUCK; DOBA this species nests in large rookeries near the Wing: 214, 226. Our birds agree in size with villages of Soatmeri and near Tambanum. the smaller pelewensis from northern New Solitary birds hunting at the edge of the river Guinea (see Amadon, 1943, p. 4). The male when disturbed by a motorboat are apt to with wing measuring 214 is probably not fly up repeatedly from the water, go ahead fully adult. 100 yards or so, then land at the edge of the Apparently widespread but thinly distrib- water. uted in one's, two's, and three's in marshes, Nycticorax caledonicus hill Mathews ponds, and lakes bordering the middle Sepik River. The smaller specimen was one of three RUFOUs NIGHT HERON; MAMOW swimming confidently among water lilies in a Fairly common in isolated swamp trees small pond in which three native women were well back from the river bordering lagoons washing sago pulp. and small waterways. Nettapus coromandelianus coromandelianus Dupetor flavicollis gouldi (Bonaparte) (Gmelin) BLACK BITTERN; PERU COTTON PYGMY GOOSE; KANDUKARAT Common along the edges of the smaller Common in January in flocks of from two waterways, ponds, and swamps bordering the to 10 swimming among the water lilies of middle Sepik. lagoons and shallow lakes cluttered with floating vegetation of the middle Sepik ANATIDAE region. Dendrocygna arcuata (Horsfield) Rand (1942a, p. 293) found a curious WHISTLING TREE-DUCK; YAR paucity of ducks on the extensive marshes of the middle Fly River (two tree-ducks only). Common in shallow, grassy lagoons and A similar situation prevails on the middle marshes bordering the middle Sepik River, Sepik where we found four species only (two but much less numerous than D. guttata. tree-ducks, the Cotton Pygmy Goose, and the Dendrocygna guttata Schlegel Black Duck). SPOTTED TREE-DUCK; MA MINE ACCIPITRIDAE Abundant in shallow, grassy lagoons and marshes bordering the Sepik and in Chambri Haliastur sphenurus (Vieillot) Lake. Johnnie Young, a veteran hunter- WHISTLING KITE; AMBOCAPI trader of the Sepik region, informed me that Common in river-edge trees bordering the this species occurs in "countless millions" in Sepik. Usually in small groups which tend to the Sepik Valley. According to native in- converge over burning cane-grass fields, but formants, the Spotted Tree-duck nests in also observed in flocks of up to 10-15 feeding holes high in trees near water during the time on floating carrion and insect larvae (chiefly of high water. In late afternoon large flocks mayflies) in the vicinity of Kanganaman. were often seen flying over the Sepik River. On the trip to the Sepik region on Novem- Not infrequently during the day one or two ber 19, 1953, at Lae, the senior author de- birds flew in from the river to land 30 to 60 scribed the flocking and hunting characteris- feet up on the main limbs of a large clump of tics of this species as follows: "Prior to our trees growing 30 to 150 yards in from the departure from the Lae wharf, we watched 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 253 some 35 Whistling Kites as they soared about Watching through glasses I noted that the the ship in search of refuse. The species is a birds would soar several hundred feet, often skilled flyer. Frequently a soaring bird would in a circle or S course, and then flap the wings. dive toward the water from 50 feet, wings Often the course was peculiarly erratic, and furled, then open the feathers in the nick of each bird was frequently seen to bring the time, a foot above the sea. With deft motions legs forward from their usual riding position the yellowish feet were then thrown far for- up against the under tail coverts. Sometimes ward so that the bared claws could be swung they dangled slightly and were then tucked backward to grasp a floating target as the back again, but usually they were shot for- bird swept by. Rarely was the object missed. ward like pistons to a position under the chin. Then with a few powerful sweeps of the wings Next the head went down and the bill cut the kite ascended 50-70 feet upward, there to into something held in the feet. After watch- soar again with seeming effortlessness. Now ing for some minutes I concluded that the with almost blase casualness, the head would flock of 34 birds which flew over the juncture be lowered, reach back to the suspended feet, of field and forest edge was catching and and then while the kite soared in perfect eating flying insects. Both the birds and the balance, the capture would be methodically insects were presumably riding on an updraft pulled apart and eaten. The head remained caused by the vegetational wall. down and almost inverted for seconds at a "October 30: At about 8:00 A.M. in beach- time, busy at one task while the business of edge forest near the Lae wharf we found a flying seemed to take care of itself. concentration of 24 Whistling Kites perched "There can be no doubt that Haliastur so close together in the top of a vine-shrouded sphenurus derives a major part of its food tree that a 15 by 15 by 20 foot cage would from the water in the form of floating carrion. have enclosed them all. They sat very quietly Northeast of the Lae wharf 400 yards, in a 20 to 30 feet up, their mouse-brown-colored stand of tall trees hugging the water's edge, I plumage blending well with the shadows. noted about 35 birds roosting. When the First we saw four birds, then more were seen, wind moderated or there was little food being the number 14 was entered in my notes, then tossed from the ship, all of the kites in the 19, and finally Margaret carefully studied the vicinity settled in these tall trees. Although flock, moving about a bit to see better into chiefly a bird of the seacoast, shores of low- the shadows, and counted 24 birds. The land lakes and rivers, particularly near grass- protective coloration of the flock is as excel- land, the whistling Kite also occurs over the lent as their choice of perches. Their notes are manmade grasslands of the Wahgi Valley." high-pitched, wavering whistles of not much On the way to New Britain in 1958 the volume. As we were leaving the area, the senior author again visited Lae, where he flock appeared near the wake of a steamer made the following observations of this spe- docked at Lae wharf. The birds now often cies, October 23: "Flock of about 10 Whis- flew down to the water's surface and deli- tling Kites were seen in the early-morning cately touched it with extended legs in order light perching on dead tree limbs and spires of to snare floating food which they pulled apart the forest edge just inside the forest of the bay and devoured in flight." edge. At 7:30 A.M., following a very wet night, It would be interesting to compare the the birds seemed as adverse to flight as wet ecologies of the three Kites, H. sphenurus, H. vultures on a windless day. These birds have indus, and Milvus migrans, in areas where long been numerous about the Lae wharf, they overlap or meet. Thus, in Queensland, where they feed on refuse, much of it from we are told by D. Amadon, migrans seems to ships. be found in drier areas, sphenurus in moister "October 29: A flock of 34 Whistling Kites areas inland, and indus on the immediate was observed circling over the forest edge of coast and on the coastal islands. This report the Lae Botanical Gardens at 6:45 A.M. does not coincide with what we found in New Circling with them and hunting in the same Guinea. In the Philippines, where the other way were two other species of kites, one two species are absent, indus ranges well Milvus migrans and one Haliastur indus. inland. 254 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 Milvus migrans afflnis Gould MEGAPODIIDAE BLACK KITE; AMBOGAVI Megapodius freycinet affinis Meyer Apparently rather uncommon along the COMMON SCRUB HEN; SIROUQUA Sepik River. Seen only a few times. A speci- Abundant in the swamp forests bordering men was shot as it flew low over our Kan- the middle Sepik River and encircling the ganaman camp again and again, apparently village of Kanganaman. From the center of attracted by a tethered Paradisaea minor. the village and from our camp at the river's edge, scrub hens could be heard calling day Accipiter novaehollandiae leucosomus (Sharpe) and night. Mounds, each the prized property GRAY OR WHITE GoSHAWK; PIAM-PIAM of a Kanganaman resident, were scattered throughout the swamp forests. Some were Fairly common in the forests and forest situated within 100 yards of the village. These edge bordering the Sepik River. mounds were jealously guarded possessions, and the local residents of Kanganaman made Accipiter fasciatus polycryptus it clear that no birds were to be killed any- Rothschild and Hartert where near the mounds, all of which were AUSTRALIAN GOSHAWK; PIEM PIEM being systematically cropped for eggs. Reputed to take chickens from Kangana- Calls heard at 3:45 P.M., February 21, were man gardens, also small ducks. carefully recorded, as follows: Male(?), "kok, nyacal, nailleue" (ascending to a high Haliaeetus leucogaster (Gmelin) screech). Female (?), a stutter delivered in duet with the peal of the male and beginning WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE; GoWIE just after the male began and continuing Not uncommon in the middle Sepik region throughout the call-"nu-nu-nu-nu-nu." and reported by native hunters to nest in tall These duetted calls were heard at all hours of trees bordering Chambri Lake. Usually en- the day and night, but were most prevalent countered alone or in pairs flying over the on moonlit nights. Often at night the birds river or perching for long periods in the tops called within 200 feet of my tent (which was of living or dead trees overlooking water. just outside the forest and about 150 feet Natives reported that the White-bellied Sea from an occupied mound) and from sound Eagle feeds on fishes, snakes, small crocodiles, orientation I determined that the birds kept and even on river-borne carrion, including the closely together in pairs. In fact, it was only corpses of men. rarely that the call of the female seemed to My first sight of this species in New Guinea emanate from a distance of more than 10-20 was on November 19, 1953, when I found one feet from that of the male. Most times, the perched 60 feet up in the bay-edge forest at sounds seemed to come from birds standing Lae. On October 23, five years later, I almost side by side. watched a solitary bird flying over the Huon According to usually reliable native lore, Gulf near Lae only to have it turn shoreward the Common Scrub Hen lays throughout the and land to perch for a long while in virtually, year except during periods when the river if not the same, tree, and some days later overflows its banks, flooding the swamp presumably the same bird was still present. forest (often in February and March). Ram- On March 13, 1954, beneath the sea cliffs of bur said that the birds, after laying the egg the town of Wewak, I filmed a sea eagle and covering it, return many times each day which carried a 3-foot snake, probably a sea to straighten the nest, and to add material snake, in its claws for some five minutes. which is scratched backward by both birds to During this period it flew along the coast, the mound. I have watched the scratching landed for a minute or so in a tall, dead, motion very closely from a blind. The bird beach-edge tree, then, seeming to lose its stands on one foot and, with the other, makes balance, it fell off into flight and flew on with repeated long scrapes from front to back, its the snake still dangling. Sea snakes are a back and shoulders sawing with each stroke. staple food of this eagle in some areas. Then, having examined the cleared area for 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 255 food, it stands on that area and scrapes with they walk on bent stems as well as on the the other foot, again repeatedly. ground. According to native lore, usually in The eggs are laid in holes which are some- pairs. times 4 feet deep. Sometimes two or even three pairs of birds lay in a single long mound, Rallina tricolor tricolor Gray but usually only a single pair occupies a RED-NECKED RAIL mound. A mound can be used immediately Two badly shot specimens were preserved after its construction; one that is left undis- in spirits. turbed will be used for many years. The "owners" of a mound remain in the Gymnocrex plumbeiventris plumbeiventris vicinity most of the day. If they go off to feed (Gray) in the morning, they return by noon, then BARE-EYED RAIL; KUNDIAKUT feed, then return two or three times during Native informants at Kanganaman told me the rest of the day. If the male or female is that this is a common but very shy species of killed, a new mate appears in quick time and swampy and marshy grasslands bordering the work continues on the mound, sometimes Sepik River. Rambur reported that it usually within the month. If the male and female are occurred in pairs and that it nests during the killed, a new pair arrives in the mound area, period of low water, building a nest of grass usually within the year. The female lays on the ground in which it lays white eggs. about one egg every two or three weeks. On February 23 at noon I visited a nest Amaurornis olivaceus moluccanus (Wallace) mound just behind Kanganaman base camp RUFOUS-TAILED MOORHEN OR and there saw one of a pair of birds (Rambur GALLINULE; YAMBA saw both) which had been clearing ground and fixing the mound. Limbum palms and Iris reddish brown to rusty brown; maxilla tall swamp trees formed a canopy over the brownish above, with light greenish yellow mound, which was 12 feet in diameter and below; mandible yellow-green to jade green; about 3 feet high. feet yellowish tan to gold-yellow. Reported by the natives at Kanganaman Talegalla jobiensis longicauda Meyer village to be quite common in grass bordering BROWN-COLLARED BRUSH TURKEY; WALING marshes and swamp forest, and to place its The Weight: Males, 3 pounds, 6 ounces; 3 nest in such grass, just above the ground. pounds, 8 ounces. stomach of one specimen contained many Iris brownish red; bill and naked portions small green (grass?) seeds. of neck dark rose; naked portions of face deep Gallinula tenebrosa neumanni Hartert sooty red; legs and feet bright orange-red; nails flesh. The immature has the iris dark DUSKY MOORHEN OR GALLINULE; DACK-DACK brown. Male: Wing, 170; tail, 61; culmen from According to native lore these birds build a rear of forehead shield, 42; tarsus, 57. Fe- small mound, but sometimes put their eggs male: Wing, 161; tail, 61; culmen from base of in a mound of Megapodius freycinet (in the forehead shield, 43; tarsus, 53. narrow area where the ranges of the two Iris dark brown; bill red, with yellow on species overlap). Fairly common on the floor tip; forehead shield orange; "legs" yellow- of original forest on higher ground well back red, with gray or brown lineations; toes from the Sepik. Their food is chiefly surface orange and brown or yellowish gray. or subsurface invertebrates of the forest Apparently the Dusky Gallinule is fairly floor. common in marshy vegetation bordering la- RALLIDAE goons and lakes on both sides of the Sepik Poliolimnas cinereus minimus Schlegel River in the vicinity of Kanganaman. These specimens show a strong trend in the WHITE-BROWED RAIL; SOOWAY direction of smallness and brighter pigmenta- Found in grass bordering swamps and tion of the bill and forehead shield. If sup- lakes, especially in "pit pit" cane grass where ported by additional material it will become 256 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 necessary to name the Sepik population. In In flight this brownish bird appears gener- the meanwhile we consider our birds to rep- ally black, with a yellow head and shoulders. resent an eastward extension of the range of Its legs hang in a sagging position, and the neumanni, a race known heretofore only from rapidly fluttering bird usually drops into the Sentani Lake. short grass out of sight after flying a short distance. Porphyrio porphyrio melanopterus Bonaparte PURPLE SWAMP HEN; UNDA-MAYLEE CHARADRIIDAE The Purple Swamp Hen is rather common Lobibyx miles (Boddaert) in the middle Sepik region. My first en- MASKED PLOVER OR LAPWING; GRAIN-GRAIN counter occurred as we breasted the 3-knot Iris lemon yellow; bill pale yellow, with current above Tambanum. Taking advantage brown tip on the maxilla; wattles bright of the calmer waters near shore, we skirted yellow; feet grayish pink, with gray scales. the shore rather closely. Not infrequently the Fairly common in flocks of from three to large blue-purple birds with their scarlet 10. A large flock was observed and photo- frontal shields and scarlet legs, climbed up graphed as it fed in short grass bordering the out of tall grass and bushes, clung clumsily ocean at Bogia near the mouths of the Sepik- 6 to 10 feet up and watched us fearlessly as we Ramu rivers. At Kanganaman the sharp passed. This species was observed on floating cries of this species flying over the grassy edge mats of vegetation fringing the main river, on of the river were often heard, particularly on islands floating down the river, on vegetation bright nights, and occasionally a night-travel- fringing inland lagoons, in native gardens ing Masked Plover became ensnared in an bordering the Sepik, and in stands of cane expedition net set for bats. One that I liber- grass and swamp bushes. I observed it to ated stood quietly as I attempted to touch it, swim with ease when cornered. If the calls the then suddenly it hammered my hand with a natives attribute to this species are correct, it flurry of rapid wing movements. To my sur- is very noisy at night, especially on bright prise, I found myself bleeding from several nights. deep punctures the little bird had made with In 1964, during a period of high water, this its sharp wing spurs. species seemed much less common. Pluvialis domini3ca fulva (Gmelin) JACANIDAE PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER Irediparra gallinacea novaeguinae (Ramsay) Common in flocks of from four to eight or more in short grass at the edge of Wewak JACANA; CHIRIS airport. Observed in November at Lae, and in Weight: Male, 94; female, 149. March and April at Nondugl (at 5200 feet; Iris pale yellow to pale tan, bill white, with see Mayr and Gilliard, 1954, p. 336). A a black tip; crest flesh shading to yellow at migrant. the head (female), purplish rose with pale yellow near bill (male); ring around eye sky SCOLOPACIDAE blue (female); feet medium gray to yellowish gray. Actitis hypoleucos (Linnaeus) Common on the floating vegetation of COMMON SANDPIPER; NUM-BUNG-GANJA lakes, barets, and marshes. Usually in small Fairly common on islands of vegetation flocks. Once observed on a pond within the drifting down the Sepik during the wet sea- town limits of Madang. There a single indi- son. Usually solitary. Of seven birds seen vidual was seen moving slowly over the during a two-hour walk along the Wewak swamp vegetation. As it progressed it lifted shore, one was on the beach proper while the one foot and appeared to wave the toes in others were on mud islands in the edge of front of itself, then put the foot down, as mangrove swamp. Of four specimens col- though this were some sort of hunting mech- lected, two were from Wewak. This species is anism. a migrant. 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 257 LARIDAE Ptilinopus aurantiifrons Gray Chlidonias hybrida fluviatilis Gould ORANGE-FRONTED FRUIT DOVE; Co-GoUR-LUVIT MARSH TERN OR WHISKERED TERN; GANJA Weight: Males, 157, 173; female, 148. Common. At low water large flocks are Iris red-orange, red-orange with yellow sometimes seen hunting insects, particularly around pupil, or yellow-orange; bill yellow to mayflies, over the river. Often perch on sticks greenish yellow; cere red to wine red; skin close to water. According to native lore these around eye yellow; feet dull rose to wine red. birds do not nest in the middle Sepik River Common. A nest with one egg was found valley. January 26 in Kanganaman village. It was a On a canoe trip between Ambunti and frail structure of sticks in a thorny bush some Kanganaman in April, 1964, during a period 8 feet up in the substage of fairly open tall of very high water, concentrations of this forest. A color photograph of an adult with species were encountered in areas of disturbed the orange-yellow forehead was made as it sat water where the Sepik took sharp turns. They on the nest. flew in circles 5 to 40 feet above the whirling water and dropped suddenly to the surface to Megaloprepria magnifica septentrionalis Meyer capture food. In areas where there was no MAGNIFICENT FRUIT DOVE; CHANGUMAI flotsam or trees these terns were observed perching on the seed heads of Weight: Male, 192; female, 161. pit pit grass. Iris scarlet to ruby red; cere red; skin COLUMBIDAE around eye yellow-green to pale gray washed Ptilinopus coronulatus quadrigeminus Meyer with yellow; bill yellow to yellow washed with LITTLE CORONATED FRUIT DOVE; green; feet green or gray washed with yellow. Coo-Goo-Roo-IT Probably a very common species. The Magnificent Fruit Dove, being a bird of the Wing: Males, 105.5, 110, 111, 112; female, true forest where it usually is encountered 109. Weight: Males, 74.5, 83, 90; female, 69. alone, seems much less common than it actu- Iris gold to yellow; bill yellow-green to ally is. Three nests were found in the vicinity olive green; eye ring yellow; skin on face of Kanganaman. At each an adult was ob- gray-green to pale green; feet dull rose to served incubating a single egg. December 16: wine red; cere gray-green. Nest far out on a heavily leafed limb 25 feet A nest with one egg was found January 3, up in tall swamp forest at edge of forest-floor 50 feet inside swamp forest at the edge of the pond. December 20: Nest, a frail structure of Sepik River. It was a frail platform of sticks sticks balanced on the top of sago-palm laid on the top of a limbum-palm frond 5 feet frond 10 feet above ground in a thick sago- above muddy ground in an area of tall open palm grove. January 25: Nest, a platform of forest with a rather solid undergrowth of twigs balanced on the central shaft of a lim- limbum palms. An adult with a pink and bum-palm frond 12 feet above dry ground in a yellow forecrown was seen on this nest several tall limbum-palm forest. times, and efforts were made to photograph it on the egg. However, on January 9, a gusty Ducula spilorrhoa spilorrhoa (Gray) wind shook the palm frond as we sat in the blind, and the egg tumbled out. It held a TORRES STRAIT IMPERIAL OR well-advanced embryo. NUTMEG PIGEON; SATNAMIO This is a common species about Kangana- Very common in pairs or small flocks in the man. forest and forest edge bordering the Sepik River. According to native lore this species Ptilinopus iozonus jobiensis Schlegel nests at all seasons of the year. One occupied ORANGE-BELLIED FRUIT DOVE nest, Palimbai, January 21: A fairly substan- Weight: 98, 116. tial platform of twigs placed 45 feet up on a Iris yellow; bill greenish yellow or gray and flat fork of a solid limb, 20 feet out from trunk yellow; cere dull gray-green; skin around eye of a large, heavily leafed kapiak tree partially gray; feet dark rose. overhanging the Sepik River. An adult 258 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 gawked over the side of the nest and shifted maxilla dark brown, mandible reddish gray position as we walked under the nest. (one); skin around eye gray; feet light rose to purplish rose. Ducula muelleri aurantia (Meyer) Kanganaman natives report that this MtLLER'S IMPERIAL PIGEON; NAMIO species is common on the floor of the rain Very common in the tops of forests and forest far back from the Sepik River. They forest edges fringing the middle Sepik River. say it goes about alone or in pairs and that it According to native lore this species nests at feeds on fallen fruit, grubs, and insects. both the high- and the low-water periods. One Goura victoria beccarii Salvadori occupied nest, Kanganaman, December 26. The nest, a frail structure, was 20 feet up in VICTORIA CROWNED PIGEON; KANGI open forest near the trunk of a large tree and Fairly common except in the vicinity of overlooking a narrow channel of water. native villages, in flocks of two to 10 on the Nearby, but some 20 feet above, was an oc- floor of wet swamp forest or on or near the cupied nest of Dicrurus hottentottus carbona- floor of muddy sago forests. When flushed, rsus. the flocks fly noisily up to nearby perches. Ducula pinon jobiensis (Schlegel) There, 10 to 15 feet above ground, they balance themselves clumsily and gawk down PINON IMPERIAL PIGEON; NAMIO at passersby. One stomach contained round, Common. red, marble-sized berries. Despite the ban Ducula zoeae (Lesson) against killing these birds, Europeans and ZOE IMPERIAL PIGEON; KAIN Bu NAMIO natives alike take a heavy toll. Iris white; eye ring dark gray; skin under PSITTACIDAE eye flesh; bill dark brown; feet bright rose to Trichoglossus haematodus intermedius deep red-violet. Rothschild and Hartert Chalcophaps indica chrysochlora (Wagler) RAINBOW LORY; PAGIT GREEN-WINGED GROUND DOVE; URIQUAK Apparently not very common during the Weight: Male, 118; female, 114. period of our stay. Flowering trees were not Iris chestnut brown; bill orange, with numerous. Our specimen was one of a pair brown tip, maroon, with orange tip; cere rose- observed feeding 60 feet up in the crown of brown, dull rose; eye ring and gape dark rose; the flood-plain forest near Kanganaman feet dark maroon rose to dull brownish rose. village. The second bird was captured and Probably common but rather elusive in its photographed in life (for a photograph of niche, which is on the floor of original forest. this bird, see Gilliard, 1955, p. 473). This record extends the known range of Lorius lory salvadorii Meyer chrysochiora westward from Astrolabe Bay. WESTERN BLACK-CAPPED LORY; QUALOO Chalcophaps stephani stephani Pucheran Skins of this species are often worn by the STEPHAN'S GROUND DOVE; URIQUAK natives of the middle Sepik River as dance Weight: 129. ornaments. Iris brown; bill orange-red; cere dark rose; Charmosyna placentis subplacens (Sclater) eye ring rose; feet dark rose. Apparently rather common but not easily YELLOW-FRONTED BLUE-EARED LORY; BASANGI seen. Kanganaman natives apply the same Weight: 42.5. name to this species as to C. indica chryso- Iris orange; bill bright rose; cere dull rose- chlora, and they say both have the same orange; skin near eye dark gray; feet dull ecology. rose-orange. Not common. Our specimen was shot in a Henicophaps albifrons albifrons Gray casuarina tree beside a small grove of coco- WHITE-CAPPED GROUND PIGEON; OLIQUAK nuts, between the forest and the river. Usu- Bill dark gray, lighter toward tip (one); ally found in pairs or small flocks. 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 259 Micropsitta pusio beccarii (Salvadori) brown (two); bill rose-brown, with yellow tip BUFFY-FACED PYGMY PARROT; PILLAIN (one), dark brown (two); feet blue-gray to olive gray. Weight: 12. Found in pairs or small flocks of three to Iris tan; bill medium gray; skin on face five in the crown of original forest and forest tannish gray; feet light pinkish gray. edge. One specimen was shot while feeding in Very local or very uncommon. This species the top of a limbum palm. was shot in the upper limbs of flood-plain forest bordering the Sepik. The stomach con- CUCULIDAE tained tiny black seeds and yellow fruit flesh. Cuculus saturatus horsfieldi Horsfield and Moore Probosciger aterrimus stenolophus (van Oort) ORIENTAL CUCKOO; SAMBANGAN PALM COCKATOO; MIENGO Aibom: One male, January 23. Kangana- man: One male, January 5. Iris rusty brown; skin around face and in- Wing: 197, 199. Weight: 87, 115. side of mouth rosy red; bill brownish black; Iris tan-red; bill black, one with yellowish feet black. base, one with yellowish gray at base of man- Common but thinly distributed in the trop- dible; gape yellow; eye ring yellow; feet corn ical rain forests. Apparently usually alone. yellow. This great, shaggy-crested cockatoo emits a There can be no doubt that these speci- shrill, rapidly repeated, grating cry: "white, mens are the race horsfieldi, the winter visitor white, white." See Forshaw (1964) for habits from northern Asia and Japan, and not satu- in Queensland. ratus, the race wintering in the Papuan region Cacatua galelita triton Temminck from breeding areas in southern Asia, be- cause in the latter the wing does not exceed WHITE COCKATOO; WAMA 192. The stomach of the heavy specimen was Common in pairs or small bands in the rain crammed with caterpillars, one of which was forest, forest edge, and in isolated trees. The yellowish and about 2 inches long. ear-splitting screams of this cockatoo are as characteristic of the New Guinea forests as Cacomantis variolosus infaustus they are of those in western Australia. A Cabanis and Heine naked nestling about three weeks old was GRAY-BREASTED BRUSH CUCKOO purchased from a native boy at Kanganaman Weight: 33. January 9. Iris russet; bill dark brown with inner two- thirds of mandible lighter; eye ring yellow; Larius roratus pectoralis (P. L. S. Muller) gape and inside of mouth vermilion; feet gold- RED-SIDED ECLECTUS PARROT; SALA yellow. Iris bright red (males), yellow (female); Apparently this cuckoo is very uncommon maxilla red-orange to red with yellow tip, in the middle Sepik region. mandible black (males); bill all black (fe- male); eye ring black (one male); gape yellow Chalcites malayanus poecilurus (Gray) (one male); skin under throat pale yellow MALAY BRONZE CUCKOO (one female); feet black. Weight: 20. Abundant in the crown of the forest and in Iris light brown; bill dark brown; eye ring fruit trees everywhere. reddish orange; gape yellow; feet dark gray. Apparently this shy species is uncommon Geoffroyus geoffroyi minor Neumann in the Kanganaman region. RED-CHEEKED PARROT; TAWAIN Weight: Males, 114-141; female, 153. Scythrops novaehollandiae Latham Iris pale yellow (three), lemon yellow, with CHANNEL-BILL CUCKOO; TIMA dark yellow near pupil (one), tan (one); skin Iris red to ruby red; bill light brown to on face olive gray to dull yellow; maxilla brownish gray, with whitish tip; skin on face red-orange to red, with brown tip, mandible rosy red; feet lavender to gray. 260 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 Uncommon. One had stomach full of whole slender casuarina tree overhanging the Sepik seeds and fruit flesh. River immediately in front of my tent. The cry was drawn out and sounded like escaping Centropus menbeki menbeki Lesson steam. With a torchlight, I was able to see GREATER COUCAL; MI QUITE and then shoot at the white spot (with eyes On January 1 a fledgling about two days that reflected a strong gold color) which out of the nest was brought to camp by a proved to be this owl. This species, which is Kanganaman native who had found it on the an important totem in the culture of the ground. Later this bird uttered some cooing Iatmul people, is said to nest in tree cavities notes, then began an almost incessant chat- during the time of low water. tering. It readily ate small frogs and grass- This is a little-known species in New hoppers. This is a very noisy species of the Guinea. This record appears to be a west- sago, limbum, and swamp forests bordering ward extension of range from southeastern the Sepik River. The call is a deep, resonant New Guinea, although it occurs on islands cooing, beginning with two or three short coos bordering the north coast that lie nearly as followed by resonant, descending coos that far west (Manam and Karkar) as the Sepik seem to reverberate long distances through River, and an owl, possibly this species, is the forest. reported to occur on Biak Island (Ripley), but remains uncollected. Centropus bernsteinii bernsteinii Schlegel BERNSTEIN'S COUCAL; SOA QUITE STRIGIDAE Ninox connivens assimilis According to native lore, not uncommon Salvadori and D'Albertis but very shy. Our only specimen was flushed from grass at the edge of the forest and shot BARKING OR WINKING OWL; WUDGUD from a perch 30 feet up in a bamboo clump Kanganaman: Two males, two females, between the Sepik River and a belt of high one sex?. Wing: Males, 256, 260; females, 244, swamp forest. 244; sex?, 252. The immature plumage is very different We found this owl quite common, for an from that of the adult (which is generally oil owl, in the open forests near Kanganaman. green to blackish) and perhaps heretofore un- The natives say it also hunts in gardens and described. Our immature specimen has the grasslands and that it usually is found in upper parts profusely barred with rufous; the pairs. One stomach examined was filled with wings and tail narrowly barred with buff to large black beetles. pale chestnut brown; the throat whitish; the These records comprise the western limits neck all around marked with chestnut brown; of the species in New Guinea, an extension the central abdomen gray, with dark bars; of range from the Ramu River on the main- and the rest of the under parts blackish land and from Manam Island at the mouth brown, with narrow pale barring. of the Sepik River. TYTONIDAE PODARGIDAE Tyto alba meeki Rothschild and Hartert Podargus papuensis Quoy and Gaimard BARN OWL; JATMARA GREAT PAPUAN FROGMOUTH; YATMALI Kanganaman: One female, February 23. Iris scarlet; bill brownish tan (female), Wing, 292; tail, 114. grayish or grayish brown (males); inside of According to native lore this is a common mouth yellow; feet tan to grayish tan. An but very secretive bird in the middle Sepik immature specimen differs by having the iris region. The natives say it enters native houses yellow, the maxilla brownish, and the man- at night to catch rats and that it sometimes dible tan. lives in the garrets of house tamborans- This species is probably common, but the large, men's houses that dominate all the observer is not apt to encounter it because of Sepik villages. The above specimen awakened its crepuscular and nocturnal habits. How- me about midnight when it cried from a tall, ever, in the Laloki River region at Hombron, 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 261 I once watched it fly from one tree to another and neighboring forests which I took to be in a sparsely treed savanna. It flew with the this species. The natives of Kanganaman sky still glowing from a vanishing sunset, seem to know nothing of the nesting habits and I saw the bird perch on a moderately of this species, and therefore I suspect that it large limb like an ordinary bird. By day I does not breed in the flatlands of the middle found it sleeping near the center trunk in a Sepik region. thickly leafed tree growing in a grain field. A nest with adult on it, November 23, 400 ALCEDINIDAE yards south of Madang Hotel, Madang, in a Alcyone pusilla laetior Rand tall shade tree overhanging main roadway. LITTLE KINGFISHER; BOYSIT OR MBALSEEK Autos and trucks passing under the nest seemed not to bother its occupant, and a Weight: Males, 11, 14; sex?, 13.5, 15.5. noisy household 100 feet from the nest tree Iris dark brown; bill dark brown to black; also was of no apparent bother. This nest was feet medium brown to black. placed 45 feet up in a substantial crotch in We found this species to be not uncommon the main limbs. It was a platform of sticks. in the middle Sepik region where it was us- On November 23 and 24 during four visits ually found alone flying along the edge of totaling about an hour of observation, an smaller waterways somewhat back from the adult remained mostly immobile on the nest. river. A number of times I saw it perching on Its body usually sloped upward and its head sticks in and projecting from the forest edge was often held at an odd angle so that the close to mudbanks at the side of barets and nest and bird together resembled a broken shaded streams. Yet apparently the Crane limb projecting upward from the tree crotch. Pacific Expedition (Mayr and Camras, 1938) Photographs (color and black and white; did not encounter it, and Burgers succeeded still and motion) were made of this adult on in obtaining only two females (at Malu; the nest. While being filmed, the unusually Stresemann, 1923, p. 35). One of our speci- immobile bird several times directed its face mens was trapped in a Japanese silk net set slowly toward me, opened its large eyes (in just above the river bank and 18 feet above the daylight) and stared at the motor-driven the surface of the broad Sepik River. One camera I was manipulating, then blinked the specimen autopsied had eaten a number of eyes tightly shut and assumed the stick posi- large beetles (up to 15 mm. long). tion again. The young male with the yellow iris has Halcyon torotoro torotoro (Lesson) much white in the upper parts, and below it LESSER YELLOW-BILLED KINGFISHER; MASAY is mostly cottony white, with some narrow We found this species alone or in pairs in dark shaft streaks. It was purchased from a the depths of the flood-plain forest where it native on January 13, about a week after was rather common. According to the native fledging. lore of Kanganaman, the "masay" nests dur- ing the time of high water in a cavity in a APODIDAE termite nest where it is often trapped (a pole Collocalia vanikorensis granti Mayr is laid against the hole) by the local natives. LOWLAND SWIFTLET; PELIPELI The bird's head is then cleaned and mounted on a stick for use as a dance ornament to be Weight: 10.5, 11.5. worn like a big stickpin in the hair. I shot one of these specimens from a flock Two of six to 10 which was found circling above males matched birds from the Hol- tall riverine forests and forest edge bordering landia-Idenburg River region. the Sepik River in very dull light at 6 P.M. in Dacelo gaudichaud Quoy and Gaimard front of an approaching storm. The mouth and stomach of this specimen were crammed RUFOUS-BELLIED GIANT KINGFISHER; KISASA with small, red, flying ants. I suspect that Weight: Male, 137. this species may fly at night. Occasionally I On February 1, a nest hole was found in a saw very large flocks of swifts over the river large, arboreal termite nest situated about 11 262 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 feet above ground on the side of the trunk of An adult was observed feeding the young, a tall tree facing a clearing at the edge of and on January 29 I made prolonged efforts Kanganaman village. At least one young was to photograph this operation, using a spot in the nest being fed by an adult. As I made stroboscopic light set 35 feet away synchro- stroboscopic pictures of the adult flying to the nized to a 400-mm. telephoto lens. More than nest with food, the young could be heard five hours were required to make satisfactory periodically uttering a rasping chatter within photographs of the adult flying in with food. the nest. Sometimes when the adult landed on During this period a small lizard(?) and in- the side of the nest the young came close sects, including armored centipedes, were fed enough to the opening to be seen. Young, col- to the young. lected at other nests by native boys, were MEROPIDAE brought to our camp on January 5 and 7. This is an abundant species of the flood- Merops philippinus salvadorii Meyer plain forest and forest edge. According to BLUE-TAILED BEE EATER; QUA-QUA-LA WEE native lore, it feeds chiefly on large insects Wing: Male, 129; female, 123.5. Weight: and an occasional small frog. Male, 37. Male: Iris red; bill black; feet dark gray. Tanysiptera galatea meyeri Salvadori Apparently rather uncommon in the vicin- COMMON PARADISE KINGFISHER; BAMBOOSA ity of Kanganaman village. An occasional specimen was observed in shrubbery along Wing: Six males, 105-108; females, 101, the Sepik River on the trip in, and in the Pa- 103. limbai region where extensive open areas Males: Iris brown to dark brown; bill with spaced-out trees and bushes occur, the scarlet to orange-red; feet grayish yellow to species is probably common. According to olive tan. Females differ by having the bill native lore this nests brown, in some cases with orange on the man- species in deep burrows dible; immature specimens have the feet gold in the earth banks bordering the Sepik River to pale yellowish gray. during the season of low water. This species was very common in the sub- On October 25 from the Markham River stage of the flood-plain forest, where it is al- bridge behind Lae I had occasion to observe most always found alone. One that I ob- the feeding and flight characteristics of this served in the Astrolabe Bay region returned race. Quite a number of birds were seen, us- on a number of days to hunt near a bower ually in pairs, flying out from bushes and that I had under observation. It flew quietly small trees bordering the river and growing to a perch 2 to 5 feet above ground in the on islands formed by the braiding of the tangled forest or forest edge, then sat quietly river. The birds fed by "hawking" flying in- for periods of up to 10 minutes, turning its sects. They left their perches, flew sharply head slowly and occasionally flicking its tail upward, then sailed on their peculiarly sharp- up and down. It appeared to be watching the tipped, square-fronted wings, in long swoops. ground for prey. They opened wide, then partially folded the January 28: A nest containing one or more wings, to cause the deeply undulating swoops, noisy young was found on the side of a lim- after which they sailed back, often to the bum-palm tree in tall, flood-plain forest 100 same perch. In the air the birds seemed to feet from the north bank of the Sepik River keep up a constant low chatter. near Kanganaman village. The forest was CORACIIDAE tall and fairly open, with a lower tier moder- ately congested with limbum palms and the [Eurystomus orientalis ssp.?] floor muddy from the periodic floodings of the DOLLAR BIRD river. The nest was situated 14 feet up in a During a canoe trip between Ambunti and termite nest which formed a large bulge on Kanganaman in April, 1964, several solitary the trunk of the palm. It was in a cavity rollers were seen on high exposed perches. which was entered by a tunnel in the side of Once at dusk two individuals of the species the termitarium. were seen in rapid flight 5 to 20 feet above the 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 263 Sepik River at Kanganaman. They were this happened, to serve as an instrument for apparently hunting insects. the production of sound during the down- stroke. However, modifications of wing or BUCEROTIDAE feather structure are not apparent in the Rhyticeros plicatus jungei Mayr dried specimen and exactly which primary is responsible for these mechanical sounds PAPUAN HORNBILL; CHIPUT OR KUKUMO could not be ascertained. Male: Iris light red-brown; bill ivory, basal On July 2, at about 1000 feet in mountain fifth reddish brown; skin on face white; eye rain forest of the Finisterre Mountains near ring flesh; skin around eye bluish white; feet Keku, I recorded the following observation dark gray. of a wild bird feeding in the crown limbs of Abundant alone, in pairs, or in small to the forest: "At 10:17 A.M. a solitary male medium-sized flocks in the tall flood-plain hornbill flew in very noisily and landed in the forest and rolling forests well back from the tree I had under observation. Immediately Sepik River. Apparently only occasionally upon landing it became silent and still. For visits the forests around Kanganaman near about one minute it remained nearly frozen the edge of the Sepik River. as I held it in sharp focus in my binoculars. The Papuan Hornbill is one of the most Its only action was to slowly turn the head important totems of the Iatmul cult, and until the bill was almost facing backwards. wood carvings of the head and bill of this bird The whitish blue of the throat and the naked are frequently to be found in the house tam- area around the eye were clearly discernible. barans and even crowning spires above the After this it turned back, opened the bill and buildings as high as 66 feet above ground. flipped out a big brown berry which it then The Iatmuls say that the hornbill feeds on deftly caught about two or three inches from fruits, but Rambur told me that it also nips the tips of the mandible. It then flipped the off the colorful heads of fruit pigeons. He berry several times, always deftly catching it said that the admiration of the latmul head- between the mandibles. This was less of a hunters stemmed from this alleged fact. juggling act than it sounds because the berry Rambur knew that the species nested in holes stayed nearly still in space while the bill in large trees, but he could not tell me any- parts clamped open and shut around it. thing about the imprisoning of the female When the plum-sized tree fruit was appar- during the nesting season. Since there are no ently sufficiently softened by these manipu- monkeys and very few arboreal predators in lations, if this indeed was the purpose, the the New Guinea forests, I wonder if the bird bounced the fruit once on the lower man- Papuan Hornbill builds a barricade such as it dible and caught it in the throat." does on the west side of Wallace's line? On October 25, 1958, near sea level behind PITTIDAE Lae in the forest edge, I had an unusual op- Pitta sordida novaeguineae Muller and Schlegel portunity to observe the extraordinary flight characteristic of the species when a hornbill BLACK-HEADED PITTA; WARACRY flew directly over me, bucking a stiff wind, Weight: Female, 77. near the Markham River. Because it was Iris darkest brown; bill blackish brown; flying only slightly faster than the wind, I feet grayish rose. was able to follow it with 8-power glasses for Although known to inhabit the forests a considerable period of time as it struggled about Kanganaman, this species seems to along about 60 feet overhead. I could see that have been seen by only a few of the villagers. the powerful "box-tearing" sounds were pro- This may be a measure of its ability to hide, duced during the downstrokes of the wings or its rarity. Rambur, a superb native natu- by a long, slender feather-a primary. I saw ralist, said that it breeds during the period of this whiplike feather emerge from the solid high water, which would seem to be con- wing with each downward stroke. It seemed firmed by the presence of an egg nearly ready to spring out about half an inch from the for laying in our only specimen, a female solid wing along most of its length, and when collected on December 22. 264 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 HIRUNDINIDAE somewhat longer than either dohertyi or Hirundo tahitica frontalis Quoy and Gaimard cyanocephala. The bill measurements of males and females of Todopsis cyanocephala are: PACIFIC SWALLOW Males: cyanocephala, 17-19.5 (9), average Wing: 100, 105.5, 106, 109. Weights: Five, 18.55; dohertyi, 17-19.5 (10), average 18.25; 11.8-15.2. Kanganaman birds, 19-19.5 (6), average Common in and around Wewak, where 19.16. Females: cyanocephala, 16.5-19 (8), the Pacific Swallow was found in considerable average 17.81; dohertyi, 17-18.5 (6), average numbers in March along the beach and on 17.50; Kanganaman birds, 18.5-19 (2), buildings at the edge of the airport. On Oc- average 18.75. tober 30, 1958, I noticed a large concentration This species is a common inhabitant of the of these swallows on wires and buildings be- lower part of the forest and forest-edge tween Lae and the Lae wharf. Not observed situations. in the region of the middle Sepik River. SYLVIINAE CAMPEPHAGIDAE Megalurus timoriensis mayri Hartert Edolisoma melan melan (Lesson) RUFOUS-CAPPED GRASS WARBLER; MAMBUI BLACK GRAYBIRD Weight: Male, 21. One female from Gaikarobi. This is a not uncommon but retiring species Coracina papuensis papuensis (Gmelin) of the tall grass patches bordering the Sepik River. PAPUAN GRAYBIRD; FAYO OR PAYO Very common in trees of the forest edge and Gerygone magnirostris affinis Meyer the edges of the Sepik River. We often saw SWAMP GERYGONE WARBLER; PIS flocks of three to five chasing through the Weight: Twelve males, 6.5-9; three fe- crown of trees of the forest edge or bordering males, 7.5-9.5. ponds and barets back from the Sepik. Iris red (one reddish brown); bill dark MALURINAE brown to black; feet dark gray to dark brown. Malurus alboscapulatus tappenbecki (Reichenow) A young bird had the iris brown, bill dark brown, feet light gray, and gape light yellow. BLACK-AND-WHITE WREN WARBLER; YENSHUAN On January 16, at the edge of Palimbai Apparently quite uncommon. Found in village, a nest was found containing young, low bushes of the forest edge bordering the 15-18 feet up, overhanging water in a row of disturbed grasslands of the Sepik River edge. trees between a broad swamp stream and Todopsis cyanocephala dohertyi bushy grasslands subject to seasonal flood- Rothschild and Hartert ing. The nest was a pensile structure about 2 feet long, suspended pendulum-like from a BLUE WREN WARBLER; SANGRA single strand of vine hanging in shade from Kanganaman: Five males, one female, one the canopy of a heavily leafed tree about 50 [female], December 17 to January 7. Ya- feet tall. It was composed of tendrils, bark manumba: One male, one [female], January strips, and leaves, and had the entrance near 12. the bottom under an overhang which served Wing: Six males, 58-61; three females, to conceal the opening. In approaching the 57-59. Weight: Males, 12-16; females, 12-13. nest, the adult flew toward the bottom of the Iris dark brown to blackish; bill dark nest, then darted upward to cling in an almost brown to black; feet medium golden brown to inverted position to the lips of the entrance black. tube. It then climbed up the tube and re- Dohertyi is differentiated from cyanocephala mained out of sight for many seconds before by darker rufous upper parts in the females. emerging suddenly to fly off immediately. Our series matches a series of dohertyi from This is an abundant species in the swamp- Takar and Hollandia in this respect, but forest edge bordering the Sepik River, in trees both the males and the females have the bill of the swampy grasslands, in groves of coco- 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 265 nut trees lining the banks of the Sepik River, during the period of our stay, it was found and in trees growing in and around native mostly in pairs. Two occupied nests were villages near waterways. observed January 27 from our boat as we MUSCICAPINAE traveled near Chambri Lake to Aibom. Both were in trees in the swamplands. Peltops blainvilli (Lesson and Garnot) On January 21 an adult was observed feed- LOWLAND PELTOPS FLYCATHER; KULIYAK ing young in the outskirts of Palimbai village. Weight: Males, 30, 31; three females, The nest was 25 feet up on a limb over the 28.5-30.5. edge of a Sepik River inlet. On November 23, Iris red to reddish brown; bill and feet in the Madang Hotel grounds, 25 feet from a black. much-used building, I found a nest with eggs Fairly common but thinly dispersed and 18 feet up on a horizontal limb in a solitary usually solitary in the topmost limbs of the ornamental tree. The nest was glued to the flood-plain forest and forest edge. Several limb, and both parents took turns incubating times I found this species perched high up the eggs. One had lost the entire tail, but it facing small man-made clearings inside the nevertheless seemed able to fly perfectly well. forest. One specimen frequently perched One of the phrases of this species I wrote as about 40-50 feet up on a dead shaft near a "we, we, wheet, wheet, you," and I noted native house in the heavily treed part of that the first two notes were plaintive, while Kanganaman village. The stomach contents the remainder were shrill. The food of this of several specimens consisted of insect flycatcher seems to include all manner of in- remains. sects of the forest edge, native gardens, vil- For a detailed discussion of the characters lages, beaches, and cane-grass swamps, even distinguishing this species from P. montanus, including river-borne insects. This food is see Gilliard and LeCroy (1961, p. 51). captured in flight, on the ground, or on the surface of the water. I once saw a group of Rhipidura leucothorax leucothorax Salvadori Willie Wagtails forming a kind of flying WHITE-BREASTED THICKET FANTAIL; CHAMCHAM circus over the Sepik River, some at least Weight: Six males, 18-20; females, 11, 150 feet out from the shore. Many times the 13.5. flying birds splashed into the water, ap- parently to catch naiad mayflies which were Rhipidura rufiventris gularis Muller emerging en masse from the river bottom. WHITE-THROATED FANTAIL; TONCHIN See Gilliard and LeCroy (1961, p. 54) for Weight: Three males, 13-13.5; female, comparative studies of Kanganaman birds 14. with Telefomin birds, which reveal a decided We found this species usually in pairs in the increase in size with increase in altitude in middle and upper parts of flood-plain forest. this species. Rhipidura leucophrys melaleuca Monarcha alecto chalybeocephalus (Garnot) (Quoy and Gaimard) SHINING MONARCH FLYCATHER; SUPRUNIKT WILLIE WAGTAIL; SIKATKERRI Weight: Three males, 20.5-25.5; three Wing: Males, 91.5, 99, 99.5; female, 91.5. females, 23-25.5. Weight: Three males, 24-28; female, 25. Iris brown to blackish; bill blue-gray; This confiding, friendly species is found all black tip on four; feet dark blue-gray to along the Sepik River from its mouth to black; inside of mouth vermilion (two males). about the elevation of Telefomin (4700 feet). Two nests with eggs were found on January In areas undisturbed by man it spends much 3 and January 25 at Kanganaman. Each was of its time along river, stream, and swamp situated about 4 feet up in a thin, sparsely edges where fluctuations in water level con- leafed sapling growing in the substage of tall tinually disturb the ecology. In areas dis- open forest. Both of the nest sites were close turbed by man, such as gardens and villages to swamp ponds covered by the forest can- in the middle Sepik region, it is common and, opy, and the trunks of both the little nest 266 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 trees emerged from shallow water caused by Pitohui kirhocephalus brunneicaudus (Meyer) seasonal flooding. The nests were neat cups in VARIABLE PITOHUI thin, vertical forks of the slender saplings. They were composed of vegetable fibers and Wewak: One male. Weight, 70. some grass bound together with some spider Compared with senex from the upper Sepik silk. and from Gaikarobi, upper parts darker, Common but rather thinly dispersed in the more deep reddish brown, less rich chestnut; lower half of the flood-plain forest, particu- under parts darker, more deep ochraceous, larly in swampy places. Usually found in pairs less buffy. In these characters our Wewak during the period of our studies, which was male nearly matches the most richly colored probably the height of the breeding season for (darkest) skins in a small series of topotypical this species. (Madang) brunneicaudus. Therefore, the Photographs made of the January 3 nest- range of this race is extended westward from ing show both the male and the female in- the lower Sepik region to Wewak. cubating the eggs. The female, however, as- Common. This specimen was shot in the sumed most of the work. By bad luck the fe- substage of the coastal forest. Stomach con- male was shot by one of our collectors, and tents were small yellow seeds, red fruit flesh, thereafter the dark male became very at- and the head of a large mantis. tentive as he alone assumed all the duties of nest care. Pitohui ferrugineus ferrugineus (Bonaparte) Arses telescophthalmus insularis (Meyer) RUSTY PITOHUI; KUK KUK FRILLED FLYCATHER Weight: Five males, 87-101; female, 101. Our birds appear much paler than holery- Weight: Male, 16. thrus [including series from the Idenburg Iris brown; bill and feet blue-gray; eye River and the Hollandia region formerly wattles blue. separated as the race heurni], but they are Apparently an uncommon species of the not nearly so pale as clarus of eastern New upper half of the rain forest. Guinea. However, our series agrees so well with ferrugineus of the Vogelkop Peninsula Poecilodryas pulverulenta pulverulenta that we have no alternative but to apply that (Bonaparte) name despite the checker-board range it WHITE-TAILED FLYCATHER implies. Rand (1942b, p. 492) found a similar Weight: Male, 26.5; female, 20. situation in the upper Fly River region, and Our Kanganaman birds (which extend the he adopted a similar solution. known range of this species eastward from This is an abundant species of the tropical Humboldt Bay) have the upper parts slightly rain forests. One specimen had eaten a large lighter, more clear gray, less smoke gray than caterpillar. typical pulverulenta. ARTAMIDAE PACHYCEPHALINAE Artamus leucorhynchus leucopygialis Gould Pachycephala griseiceps jobiensis Meyer Lesser Wood Swallow; Vitvit GRAY-HEADED WHISTLER Wing: Four males, 125-129; female, 128. One taken at Kanganaman. Weight: Four males, 42-43; female, 41. Pitohui kirhocephalus senex Stresemann Iris dark brown; bill light bluish gray, with black tip; feet dark gray. VARIABLE PITOHUI; COOK COOK These specimens have the breast, abdo- Gaikarobi: Two males, one female. men, and sides of body pale neutral gray, not Weight: Males, 68, 75; female, 77. white as in typical leucopygialis; and the light Closely similar to a series of senex from area of the lower rump and upper tail coverts Regenberg, Malu, and Hunsteinspitze, but is somewhat more restricted and averages with the under parts averaging slightly paler. darker, more smoke gray, less white. If sub- 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 267 sequent collections support these differences, split off from the lower part of the limb sys- the Kanganaman birds may represent a new tem some 60 feet overhead. race of this species, which is otherwise little The following notes are from observations differentiated in New Guinea. that I made near Lae in October (29-31), Rather common to somewhat local in the 1958, when I observed and photographed the middle Sepik region where it is always found nesting activities of this species. "At about in flocks ranging over the forest edge where it 6 P.M. at starling tree no. 1, I counted about borders the river, over the pit-pit grass strip 80 nests. These were clustered closely to- and out over the river. The birds perch high gether on the lowest limb of an 85-90-foot up on dead limbs protruding from the forest tree standing alone in a semi-cleared field edge, and they tend to gather in tight lines near the Lae wharf. The lowest limb of this along particular limbs of trees usually stand- tree was 48-50 feet up; the lowest nest was ing alone in open areas. At night they congre- about 40 feet above the ground, and the gate in compact knots to sleep. Their food highest was about 8 feet higher. The rest of the consists of all kinds of insects caught in flight. big tree was thickly leafed. No vines grew on the relatively smooth trunk. STURNIDAE "At the upper edge of the nesting zone the Aplonis metallica metallica (Temminck) nests were separated and often basket-like, and situated among leaves. Several feet METALLIC STARLING; SOUI-MARI lower the nests became more concentrated Weight: Male, 66. and some were next to each other, while to- Iris orange to red. ward the middle and lower part the nests This is the most abundant bird of the were built into each other so as to resemble Sepik flood-plain forest, forest edge, and pit- large clusters of grass in which many side pit swamps. It is a highly gregarious species, holes were to be seen. These entrances, which feeding, nesting, and sleeping in large to im- seemed relatively tiny, led into individual mense flocks. In the neighborhood of Kan- nest chambers. About the whole nesting ganaman, flocks of a hundred or more (per- area a concentration of birds, all of which ap- haps to 400) often rush through the forest peared blackish in the dull light of dusk, was just under the canopy, making a roaring noise to be seen. Above, in the leafy areas, un- as they surge by, oblivious of man. Natives counted numbers of other starlings roosted or carry throwing sticks for just such flocks and flew in and out in bands. The birds paid little sometimes can kill up to eight starlings with a attention to me (as I stood some 90 feet single throw. In the forest the roar of a away), but once when I moved rapidly, passing flock is exceeded only by the roar of about 70-90 birds took off, chiefly from the the hornbills in flight. Along the Sepik the nesting area. This panic flight exploded out as Metallic Starling roosts in tall cane-grass one flock and at a distance of about 40-60 (pit-pit) swamps. One such roost that I saw feet from the nest cleaved into two, going in from the boat seemed to hold many thou- opposite directions. Both wheeled and re- sands of birds. turned to the tree in less than a minute. The species nests in great concentrations in "A large number of birds had remained be- tall trees projecting above the roof of the hind, on top of and about the nests. As the forest, in the forest edge, or in tall solitary flocks returned these birds opened their trees growing in swamp or savanna. So nu- mouths and fluttered their wings. The adults merous and closely packed are the nests that had relatively long, sharp tails, often show- their weight often breaks off large limbs. ing two points in the folded position. The tail Near Kararau on January 25, for example, I position of others was often canted upward as found two such broken limbs on the ground though the bird might be sitting in the bot- under a nesting tree. About 40 pounds of tom of a nest. nests were attached to the outer limblets in a "During the period of 15 minutes (5:55 nearly solid mass of nesting material. Blue P.M. to 6:10 P.M.) of concentrated observation egg fragments with cinnamon spots and many three crows flew noisily into the topmost decaying nestlings were noted. The limbs had branches. They were attacked by a Bell Mag- 268 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 pie (Cracticus cassicus) and eventually driven utes, inserting the bill here and there and ap- off. Also in the tree, but mostly concealed, parently adding material to the nest. It hung was a Leatherhead (Philemon novaeguineae) down head first on the side of the nest, its feet which called periodically. After the Bell Mag- near the top. Its neck was stretched and pie drove off the crows, it began emitting low frequently the head was shaken very drasti- growling notes which I at first mistook for cally as the bill was in the strands of material the notes of the Papuan Mynah (Mino du- (grass?). monti). It flared the tail as it made these "The adults seemed to be divided about notes and moved down among the starlings in equally into two classes, those that hung on the leafy upper third of the tree. When fully the nest sides, occasionally on the bottom, or flared, the tail opened 180 degrees like a hand sat on slanting sticks, and rendered very ac- fan-quite spectacular. This bird was ap- tive begging displays (with much wing flutter- parently contesting the encroachment of ing and crying with the bill open), and those starlings in the upper part of the tree. I saw that moved about, paying little attention to no actual encounter. these displays. The latter sometimes sat "October 30, 7:15 A.M.: Visited and care- quietly by or flew in and out, landing close to fully watched the colony for half an hour. the fluttering birds (males?). Margaret counted 43 nests with binoculars. "The first time I saw the following, I put it Approximately 287 adult birds were counted down to coincidence: A male had a large red as they came and went from the nest during a berry in the opened tip of its bill. This berry five-minute period. was almost an exact match for its ruby red "The adults usually leave the nest area in eye! The two red spots were very striking and groups of from three to 12. They dive steeply queer to behold. Then, five minutes later, I from the nest area when departing. A young saw it again. In the end of its bill an adult bird that dropped from the leafy area to the carried a red berry, which was oval and twice top of an exposed nest near the upper edge of the length of the eye. With the bill partially the colony was permitted to stand on a twig open, this bird twice poked the bill into the for several minutes and then was suddenly upper part of the nest underfoot, forcing the driven off by a black adult. The young flew bill in to at least the nostrils. For nearly a out from the tree with the adult in hot pursuit. minute it played with the red berry and then "The retort-shaped nests are about 9 to 14 the object disappeared, perhaps swallowed, or inches long. A tiny entrance tube is at the perhaps finding lodging in the structure of the side. This is flexible and about the diameter of nest. Later, I saw yet another male close its the head between the eyes of Aplonis metal- mouth over a red berry as though swallowing lica. To enter the nest the bird darts head first or hiding it. into it from a flying start or clings head up, "At about 7:35 the morning sun struck the breast out, and tail bent outward, but against nests full force and the many dark birds on the nest like a woodpecker. The bird then them were suddenly transformed into glisten- suddenly forces the head into the hole and ing deep green, ruby-eyed ornaments. About wedges its way into the cavity with the hole half fluttered, holding their chests up, their virtually closing behind it. It emerges head heads high, and their bills in constant gob- first. Once I saw one adult chase another bling motions. All the while a rasping, from a nest limb. Twice I saw pairs of adults scratchy crescendo was coming from the tree. come tumbling out of the nest area, pin- It sounded much like that of a colony of wheeling down like two tethered balls, keep- European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). ing up a fight during a vertical drop of 40 feet "At about 7:20 A.M. two large crows flew to the ground. In moving about, the many noisily into the top of the tall nest tree. One adults that cling to nests here and there crow had pale bluish gray eyes and as it called (usually one or two to a nest, but sometimes raucously a long-drawn "caw," flipping the in groups) execute little hops. They keep the wings with each surly note, I noted that its tail downward as a rule and after each little throat feathers were extended. Soon after the hop sink back on it rather clumsily. One arrival of the crows the colony of starlings be- adult worked alone on a nest for many min- came silent, or virtually so, and within an- 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 269 other two minutes the 25 to 35 adults that scratchy swallowed notes, chopping notes, a had been clinging to the nests had all left. two-toned "pooo paaa," a rather clear "oh They slipped away in small groups so that I think of it," and a snapping "hick up"; also was not aware that a general exodus was an ascending sequence of musical taps sound- going on, then I saw with some amazement ing like a boy playing a stick along the pickets that all of the nests were deserted, at least on of a fence. their exteriors. However, before a couple of We follow Rand (1942b, p. 495) in not rec- minutes had passed the birds began to filter ognizing the race violaceus. back. "October 31. Visited nest tree no. 1 at ORIOLIDAE 7:15 A.M. Again I noted much berry carrying. Oriolus szalayi (Madarasz) One bird was photographed while, for more BROWN ORIOLE; COCOMANCHE than a minute, it moved about close to a beg- ging adult with a red berry in its bill. It went Weight: Three males, 108-119. into Iris red, in one bird an orange ring around the hole carrying the berry and then pupil; bill rosy brown to deep reddish brown; emerged head first, still carrying it. As the feet brown to blackish. bird came out the red berry appeared first The and then, when the two red eyes emerged Brown Oriole is fairly common in the also, the bird stopped, thus making an ex- crown of the flood-plain forest and in the tops traordinary spectacle. Very few young striped of trees of the forest edge. Its call, as recorded birds were seen; one or two in the leaves at Astrolabe Bay in late June, is a rich, above the main nest clusters were all. Several melodious series of whistles ("wa-ah-co-ca- were seen being chased down out of the tree waaow"), accompanied by bubbling notes. In as described before. One tumbling flight June the birds were found in small flocks high (down to ground) was observed." up in forest-edge situations, but in late Octo- The above observations agree in their main ber in the rain forests behind Lae the species outline with observations of the behavior of was observed alone. One that was closely Aplonis brunneocapillus made by Cain and watched was very active, moving quickly Galbraith (1956, pp. 281-287) in the eastern among and feeding on small sprays of berries Solomon Islands. It is interesting to note that in the crown of the forest. A. brunneocapillus, the White-eyed Starling, CRACTICIDAE shows a tendency toward holding objects in Cracticus cassicus cassicus (Boddaert) the bill-in this case a white fruit stone which it apparently regurgitates. BLACK-HEADED BUTCHERBIRD; KAMBO Weights: Three males, 153-178; females, Mino dumonti dumonti Lesson 149-172. YELLOW-FACED MYNA; GoWCOLUCK OR GOKARAK Abundant in small groups in the canopy of Weight: Females, 216, 241. high forest, forest edge, and in the tops of Iris dark brown, with pale gold spots; bill isolated trees. Song bugle-like and very im- orange-yellow; facial wattles rich orange- pressive. Emitted from tops of tall trees. yellow to orange; throat yellow; feet and nails Especially noisy in the morning. One of the yellow. loudest birds in the Kanganaman region. The Yellow-faced Myna is a fairly common species which, although rather evenly and DICRURIDAE thinly spaced out, is found everywhere, usu- Dicrurus hottentottus carbonarius Bonaparte ally in pairs, from the treetops of the beach SPANGLED DRONGO; KENKENYU edge to the spire limbs of the tropical rain Weight: Male, 87. forest. At dusk it has the habit (in common Iris carmine to red-orange; bill and feet with many species of fruit doves and leather- black. heads) of ascending to high, dead perches and This is a common species of the flood-plain of sitting for long periods of time. The calls of forests and forests edges, where it spends this species are features of the New Guinea much time high up among the leaves and lowlands; they are an assortment of hollow, perches on limb tips atop the forest. On De- 270 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 cember 13 a cup type of nest under construc- seen flying together through and over the tion was found 35 feet up in the middle part trees of the river edge. of an open tree facing an open glen in the forest. This nest was apparently deserted, PARADISAEIDAE but when, on February 25, I went to collect Manucodia ater ater (Lesson) it, an adult was found in possession and GLOSSY-MANTLED MANUCODE; perching nervously close by. QUATBON On December 26, a second occupied nest, Weight: Males, 218, 225; three females, also of cup type, hanging from its edges from a 179-199. slender, flat fork of the mid-forest, was dis- Iris red, orange-red, red with yellow next to covered, 40 feet up in similar forest. Near the pupil, yellow veined with red. Markham River bridge behind Lae, October A nest found January 2 was a firm, deep 26, an adult was discovered carrying food to cup of multiple-coiled vines on a platform of a its nest-a cup-shaped nest situated just in- few large sticks and many broad leaves (with side the forest edge 60 feet up. The parent many leaves extending upward into the walls flew directly to the nest, landed on the lip of of the nest cup), lined with fine vines. Mea- the cup, bent over young briefly, flew 10 feet surements: Exterior, 240 by 175; cup, 107 by to the perch, then disappeared. About three 68. Placed 40 feet up in a thickly leaved, minutes later (another?) drongo flew in the slender-trunked, wild mango tree growing in same way, remaining about 45 seconds, the lower stratum of the tall, open, tropical rocking the tail in and out about every three rain forest about 2 miles inland from the seconds. Later, these drongos were seen to sit Sepik River at Kanganaman. Eggs ovoid for long periods flicking the tail, then hopping whitish, with pale lavender, gray, and dark across the limb, switching the tail, wiping the brown smudges and some slight lateral bill. Dicrurus flies jerkily, bouncing up on a streaking, chiefly concentrated on the slightly flurry of wing beats, then dropping sharply. larger half and end of the egg (measurements, When it lands it swoops in and jerks the tail 35-37 by 25 mm.). on landing. This species seems to be relatively common I once observed a drongo hunting with but thinly dispersed through the tropical much pugnacity. It dove onto the tops of a rain forest where it moves vigorously about in shelf of broad leaves, its body and feet going the upper limbs, never stopping very long. through, its wings and tail open and coming One of the six specimens was collected at We- to rest against the leaves. After several sec- wak. Three specimens had large, oval, black onds it flew out and resumed the chase flut- seeds and remains of berries (?) in their tering, and partially hovered, bill aimed up- stomachs. ward, under the same shelf of leaves. See Gilliard (1956) for a revision of this On July 1 at Keku (1000 feet) as rain began group. falling I heard a drongo give two buzzing notes, then call "ka ka" (very loud), "kee Seleucides ignotus auripennis Schltiter kee" (shrill whistles). The bird sang high up, TWELVE-WIRED BIRD OF PARADISE; repeating the calls again and again, and with MAN OR KARAGAMBO each sequence of notes the tail was partially Weight: Nine males, 158-198. spread and the wings slightly opened. The Iris scarlet in birds showing any trace of head was directed upward steeply, and with adult plumage and red-orange, orange, and each phrase the mouth opened widely in the chartreuse-yellow in three males in female rain. plumage; bill black; inside of mouth aqua- CORVIDAE green except in one young bird in which it is chartreuse-yellow; skin around eye black; [Gymnocorvus tristis (Lesson and Garnot)] feet rosy flesh to fleshy yellow. GRAY CROW A nest discovered under construction on In April, 1964, on a canoe trip on the February 4 was a shallow, well-concealed cup flooded Sepik between Ambunti and Kan- composed of leaf (pandanus) strippings, bark ganaman, two pink-faced, gray crows were strips, and vines, placed on a frail foundation 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 271 of sticks and leaves. It was lined with fine this species, but several spot stroboscopic rootlets and plant fibers (inside of cup, photographs (with the lights 35 feet from the 90 mm. wide, 35 deep; outside, 200 by 90) nest, using a 400-mm. telephoto lens) show and was found 10 feet up among the leaf bases the female on the nest, and several moving- of a pandanus palm in the lower tier of tall, picture sequences (in 16-mm. color) were open swamp forest (with an understory of made of the female arriving, inspecting, and limbum palms, some pandanus, and many de- settling down to incubate. After the pic- ciduous saplings, vines, and bushes growing tures were made, a silk net was erected to in shallow pools of water), about 150 feet catch the female (without success), and then from the north bank of the Sepik River and the nest and egg were collected. about 50 feet inside the forest edge. We found this species to be not uncommon Another nest (discovered under construc- in the Kanganaman forests but it was thinly tion January 13) was similar to the one pre- distributed and not easily observed, except viously described and was placed 12 feet up at the nest. A female that I observed flew in on the tops of several fronds where their a straight line through the substage of tall, shafts crossed, in a sago palm growing on dry flood-plain forest. At and near the nest the ground close to a water channel in the edge of female was very secretive. It always ap- tall, flood-plain forest 100 feet from the banks proached by flying through bushes and sap- of the Sepik River. One egg, found February lings about 3 feet above puddles and mud to 27, was cream color, with longitudinal rufous the nest tree. Thus it arrived almost unseen to grayish streaks concentrated chiefly at the by flying in the shadows of the forest floor. larger end (measurements, 40.7 by 26.5 mm.). When near the nest tree, it swooped nearly Since a main objective of our expedition straight up to land on the tops of the spine- was to discover and photograph breeding edged pandanus leaves, about 2-3 feet from birds of paradise in the wild, the finding and the nest, then, following a slight pause, it photographing of Seleucides ignotus at its jumped to the nest, examined it, turned nest was of much importance to us. It is the around, and then settled (with much shuf- first of the "plumed" birds of paradise to fling of the wings and body) onto the egg. have been photographed in the wild at its On January 28 near Kararau my boys called nest and only the second species of the Para- my attention to a male as it called from tall disaeidae to have been studied and photo- forest, understoried with nipa and sago palms graphed under such conditions. For the first very close to the banks of the Sepik. The record, see the photographs of Cnemophilus sounds produced by this male reminded me macgregorii which the late Wan Tho Loke of Paradisaea. (1957, p. 104) made at Mt. Hagen in 1952. The stomachs of three specimens con- For a photograph of Seleucides ignotus, see tained long, oval, blackish seeds, and one Gilliard (1955, p. 469). specimen contained yellowish fruit. Accord- From the day of our arrival at Kangan- ing to native lore, this species eats the seeds aman we offered high rewards for informa- of the sago palm and insects which it cap- tion concerning breeding birds of paradise. tures in the bases of pandanus and sago-palm On January 13, Avaran succeded in finding leaf clusters. a nest under construction, but, to our dismay, it was promptly deserted. On February 4, he Paradisaea minor finschi Meyer found another nest under construction about LESSER BIRD OF PARADISE; MAN 200 yards distant from the first. This nest Weight: Six males, 192-234. was not visited for such a long time that we Iris lemon yellow; bill blue-gray; inside of thought it, too, was deserted. However, on mouth yellow-green to aqua-blue in the the day we were due to leave Kanganaman young males; feet gray. (February 27), when we went to collect this In the middle Sepik River region, the "abandoned" nest, a female flushed from it Lesser Bird of Paradise is an abundant spe- and one egg was discovered. Since this im- cies of the rolling tropical rain forest (upper portant discovery was made so late, it was limbs and canopy) lying well back from the impossible to study the nesting behavior of Sepik River, for example, about Gaikarobi. 272 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 It appeared uncommon to absent in the tall ceeded in finding S. bakeri, even though all swamp and flood-plain forest bordering the the local natives insisted that no such bird main river. According to native lore, it nests occurred. during the wet season, but we were unable to Bowie says that, if a native garden is made find a trace of it despite special efforts. Two in an area used for the bower, the species males trapped near Gaikarobi were photo- will move only a short distance to build a graphed under natural conditions at Kan- replacement. Year after year the bowers are ganaman (see Gilliard, 1955, p. 463). placed in special areas so that old and new For a discussion of the morphology and bowers can often be found near one another. ethology of P. minor, see Gilliard and LeCroy (1961, p. 71). NECTARINIDAE PTILONORHYNCHIDAE Nectarinia sericeus sericeus (Lesson) Chlamydera lauterbachi uniformis Rothschild BLACK SUNBIRD; MIKIS YELLOW-BREASTED BOWER BIRD; Weight: Six males, 6-9.8; three females, GEN-NA-NA-GUN-GUN 6-8. Two specimens, one male and one female, This is a common species. At Gaikarobi it were collected in 1954. In 1964, 10 specimens occurred about the flowers of trees in the were collected by natives at Kanganaman. forest-enclosed village, at Aibom and at Kan- Weight: Male, 133; female, 112. ganaman in the forest edge, often in flower- Iris dark brown, bill dark brown to black, ing coconuts, and in the midst of Lae we saw feet dull olive. it feeding on frangipani and hibiscus flowers. According to Rambur of Kanganaman, One male and one female were collected at this species is fairly common in the bushy Wewak. Its call is a high-pitched "cheep." grasslands bordering the rain forest and in patches of cane grass bordering marshes. It is Nectarinia jugularis frenata (Muller) also found in the crown of the forest, some- YELLOW-BELLIED SUNBIRD; MIKIS times well inside, where it feeds on tree Weight: Three males, 8.5-10. fruits. It also eats insects. This species was not found in the middle We were unable to find the bower of this Sepik region, but at Wewak it was appar- species, but Kanganaman natives had seen ently not uncommon. In Lae in late October such structures in the grasslands near Kan- this species was by no means common. A ganaman. pair was seen in a flame tree in the center of In 1964, the senior author learned from town, and one or two others were seen nearby expedition natives that this species builds in isolated trees in farmlands. One was seen its bower in the vicinity of cane grass, us- 50 feet up in flight over a savanna. It flew in ually at the foot of a bush or small tree, in deep undulations, squeaking as it went. May, June, and July. It decorates this bower with red, green, blue, black, and gray fruits MELIPHAGIDAE of trees and hard berries. The red fruits Conopophila albogularis mimikae Matthews wither to yellow in color. Much charcoal is used and sometimes stones, but since stones RUFOUS-BREASTED HONEYEATER; PIS are few and far between in the Kanganaman Weight: Females, 12, 14.5. region charcoal seems to be substituted. The One specimen was shot 40 feet up in a period of bower building follows the period casuarina growing among coconut trees be- of high water. side the Sepik. Uncommon. The call of this bird is a hissing "kraaaaarr," according to the natives, and it is the same Myzomela eques prmidtiva as that of the Aiome population. Incidentally, Stresemann and Paludan in 1959 in the Adelbert Mountains, Rambur RED-SPOT MYZOMELA immediately recognized Sericulus bakeri be- Weight: Male, 10.8. cause its call is so much like that of Chiamy- Iris golden brown; bill black; feet dark dera lauterbachi. Because this is so, we suc- gray. 1966 GILLIARD AND LECROY: BIRDS 273 Melilestes megarhynchus stresemanni Hartert Sepik River, where relatively little collecting LONG-BILLED HONEYEATER was done. Weight: Males, 47, 52. Philemon novaeguineae jobiensis (Meyer) Iris red-orange, orange to yellow at pupil; NEW GUINEA FRIAR BIRD OR bill dark brown; feet medium gray. LEATHERHEAD; CHAQUAK Xanthotis chrysotis philemon Stresemann Weight: Three males, 127-160; four fe- males, 134-142. BROWN XANTHOTIS; LAPONGOSOUI Nest (Kanganaman, February 11) 45 feet Weight: Six males, 46.5-54; female, 40.5. up over canoe channel in heart of tall, open Very common in the forest, forest edge, rain forest; a basket nest hanging in a slender second-growth formations and in native gar- lateral fork in the middle limbs of a tall dens. One stomach contained seeds, fruit kapiak tree; an adult appeared to be incu- flesh, and black insect wings. bating eggs. On February 25, at this same Lichmera alboauricularis olivacea Mayr nest, an adult was observed feeding young. This is another abundant species that is WHITE-EARED HONEYEATER; DIPPMAHPINPIN found everywhere from the depths of the Weight: Twelve males, 13.5-19; females, tropical rain forest (chiefly the upper limbs), 12.5, 13, 14.5 forest edge, and second-growth formations, Abundant. Solitary, in pairs, or in small to sparsely treed gardens, villages, and towns. flocks in the tops of coconut and other trees It goes in pairs or small flocks and is probably of the river edge. Nests have been seen by the noisiest bird in New Guinea. The leather- Mava during both dry and high-water time. head has a repertory of bugled notes that are The nest is a small cup placed in a coconut so clownish they almost defy description. tree. These are delivered very often from semi- Meliphaga analoga ssp.? concealed perches high up and commanding an extensive view. "Stik-ta-ba-co," rapidly MIMIC MELIPHAGA; COCOMANTS repeated, is a common call; "ka-kek-ka-ke- Wewak: One male, three females. kek-ku" is another loud call, as is "yes-joe- Wing: Male, 83; females, 75, 76, 78. Weight: joe-kup-kip-kup." Behind Bogadjim I con- Male, 26; three females, 19.8-23. firmed what I had long suspected, that this Iris gray to brownish gray; bill brownish species sings antiphonally; as I watched, one black to black; gape bright yellow; feet gray. called "ki-kor-rik," to which another, di- Molt medium on body, wings, and/or tail rectly overhead, added "queww." They did (four, one with testes enlarged, two with this a number of times. I would have taken ovaries enlarged). the call for that of one bird had I not been This series appears much more grayish on standing where I was. the abdomen than connectens from the Iden- At Kanganaman the natives call this bird burg River. The race flaviola from Hollandia the "clock bird." Its calls can be heard all has the bill much longer. day and often at night, but they are loudest Common in the forest, forest edge, and in and most frequent in the early morning. One trees in native gardens. One stomach con- was heard at 4:35 A.M., October 29, in the tained small gray seeds, gray fleshy matter, middle of the town of Lae. and several legs of insects. This species is usually observed in flight, Meliphaga flavirictus crockettorum because when it lands it usually swoops up, Mayr and de Schauensee under, or behind leaves of the forest canopy where it is generally not so easily seen. How- YELLOW-GAPED MELIPHAGA ever, at dusk, leatherheads move up usually Weight: Male, 22. in pairs to sit for long periods on high, ex- It is probably significant that our only posed perches. A specimen that we autopsied record of this relatively rare species from the had eaten small green insects. middle Sepik region is of a bird that was I once saw a leatherhead fly out from a taken in forests 20 miles distant from the high perch, catch something in flight, and 274 BULLETIN AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY VOL. 132 then return to the same perching area. This Lonchura grandis ernesti (Stresemann) species often fed among flowers in flowering GREAT-BILLED MANNIKIN; YENCHUAN trees. Its flight is direct, without undulations, and with Wing: Males, 50, 50.5, 51, 53; females, 52, steady wing flapping. 53. Weight: Four males, 11.5-14; females, 13, 14. These measurements agree with those DICAEIDAE given by Stresemann (1921, p. 33) in his orig- Dicaeum geelvinkianum rubrocoronatum Sharpe inal description of ernesti (type locality: Sero- RED-CAPPED FLOWERPECKER; MEEGIS sensee, lower Sepik River) and are smaller than the average (54.1) given by Rand (1942b, Common but not easily observed in the p. 514) for heurni from the Idenburg River. middle and upper parts of the forest, or forest Iris red to dark red; bill whitish; feet gray edge; also found in native gardens. to dark gray. At Palimbai, January 11, I found eight PLOCEIDAE nests, three, at least, and probably all, oc- Lonchura tristissima calaminoros (Reichenow) cupied, in a small patch of low, thick-leaved trees growing in swampy grassland at the STREAK-HEADED MANNIKIN; edge of a pit-pit (cane-grass) swamp 100+ QUATENBU YENTCHAN yards in from the edge of the Sepik River. Weight: Male, 7.5; female, 8.3. The nests were built of grass strips tightly A solitary nest found in a forest-edge tree intertwined among the small limblets and bordering a broad stream near the Sepik green leaves of the outer limbs. They were River at Kanganaman was said by native disheveled, ball-like structures with side en- guides to be the nest of this species. It was 9 trances, separately built. Some were close feet up, and ball-like, with a side entrance. together, some were 10 or more feet apart, This species is common in fairly large placed 12 to 30 feet up. flocks which occur in grass patches in open This is a locally common species of the river-edge forest and forest edge. open grasslands of the middle Sepik region. BIBLIOGRAPHY AMADON, DEAN Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser., 1943. Birds collected during the Whitney vol. 20, no. 34, pp. 453-473. South Sea Expedition. 52. Notes on MAYR, ERNST, AND E. THOMAS GILLIARD some non-passerine genera, 3. Amer. 1954. Birds of central New Guinea. Results of Mus. Novitates, no. 1237, pp. 1-22. the American Museum of Natural His- BATESON, GREGORY tory expeditions to New Guinea in 1950 1936. Naven. A survey of the problems sug- and 1952. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., gested by a composite picture of the cul- vol. 103, pp. 317-374. tures of a New Guinea tribe drawn from MAYR, ERNST, AND AUSTIN L. RAND three points of view. Cambridge, Cam- 1937. Results of the Archbold Expeditions. bridge University Press. No. 14. The birds of the 1933-34 CAIN, A. J., AND I. C. J. GALBRAITH Papuan expedition. Bull. Amer. Mus. 1956. Field notes on birds of the eastern Solo- Nat. Hist., vol. 73, pp. 1-248. mon Islands. Ibis, vol. 98, pp. 100-134, RAND, AUSTIN L. 262-295. 1942a. Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. FORSHAW, JOSEPH M. 42. Birds of the 1936-1937 New Guinea 1964. Some field observations on the Great expedition. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Palm Cockatoo. Emu, vol. 63, pp. 327- Hist., vol. 79, art. 4, pp. 289-366. 331. 1942b. Results of the Archbold Expeditions. GILLIARD, E. THOMAS No. 43. Birds of the 1938-1939 New 1955. To the land of the head-hunters. Natl. Guinea expedition. Ibid., vol. 79, art. 7, Geogr. Mag., vol. 108, no. 4, pp. 437- pp. 425-516. 486. RAND, AUSTIN L., AND E. THOMAS GILLIARD 1956. The systematics of the New Guinea [In press.] A handbook of New Guinea birds. Manucode, Manucodia ater. Amer. Mus. New York, Natural History Press. Novitates, no. 1770, pp. 1-13. REINER, E. J., AND R. G. ROBBINS [In press.] Birds of paradise and bower birds. 1964. The middle Sepik plains, New Guinea. New York, Natural History Press. Geogr. Rev., vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 20-44. GILLIARD, E. THOMAS, AND MARY LECROY RIPLEY, S. D. 1961. Birds of the Victor Emanuel and Hin- 1964. A systematic and ecological study of denburg mountains, New Guinea. Re- birds of New Guinea. Bull. Peabody sults of the American Museum of Mus. Nat. Hist., no. 19, pp. 1-87. Natural History Expedition to New STRESEMANN, ERWIN Guinea in 1954. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. 1921. [Description of eleven new forms from Hist., vol. 123, pp. 1-86. the Sepik River, New Guinea.] Anz. LOKE, WAN THO Ornith. Ges. Bayern, vol. 1, pp. 33-40. 1957. A company of birds. London, Michael 1923. Dr. Burgers' Ornithologische Ausbeute Joseph, Ltd. im Stromgebiet des Sepik. Arch. f. MAYR, ERNST Naturgesch., vol. 89, no. 7, pp. 1-96. 1941. List of New Guinea birds. New York, WINGATE, D. B. the American Museum of Natural His- 1964. Discovery of breeding black-capped tory. petrels on Hispaniola. Auk, vol. 81, pp. MAYR, ERNST, AND S. CAMRAS 147-159. 1938. Birds of the Crane Pacific Expedition.

275