New-York tribune., 1908-08-30
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ver1 sober,v 1p,lfng at the birds in the museum
collection, one picture them in the oep'hs y,
New Guinea forest dancing and promehauiiis
back and forth upon the branches. to attract tne
females While the latter, in their plain dresses
look on and choose their mates, as, alas SO Hahs
women do, not for beauty OF character ou' io
fine feathers and dapper ways
E,,t not for many years if the milliners and their
patrons have their way will the birds of parauise
carry on their quaint courtships> in the ropicai
forests The birds discovered by Magellan In io@-'
in Batchien island near New Guinea, VIII sooh
exist nowhere but in museums. stuned. uniess'
indeed the bill which has just passed the 1ouse
Of commons gets through the House OF LORDS
and becomes Il law. This bill, which was intro
drcnd nv Lord Avebury, makes it q crime. PUNISH
able by a fine. to import into the United khsoo'h
for purposes of sale or exchange the piuiiase
skin or body of any dead wild BIRD certain pi'u'
ere exempted. such as the OSTRICH the eioef uu'
and a few birds used for food The supporters oi
tl.e bill cite the bird laws of the State OF Ne"
York as a proof that the wholesale slaughter oi
wild birds can he prevented
DO YOU think this proposed law "oui oe "a
fective?' Mr. Chapman was asked
.'Indoubtedly." he said. You see, Lohuoh 10
t;,e ere,t feather market Of the world, the mar
ket TO which buyers frCm this and all other couii
tiles resort In the last six rn' nths OF the Sea
1861 there were cataloguod there l9,fE si-iiio "
birds of paradise. besides the plumes Oh ii'''oo
nesting herons--the white herons-and iiihieiis
numbers Of the skins and feathers OF other OH u9'
Gre:t auction sales of feathers ana piTu shii''
take place there every two months
The territory in which the birds of paradise are
found is mostly part of the British possessioiiS'
too This proposed law, with some local laws 10
preyent the killing would surely protect the pirus.
Most of the specimens in this museum coiie.''"
Mr. Chapman got in London. One reason for hur
ryine to make the collection was that, as MI
CHAPMAN said, "at the rate they are being eh-
terminated there will be none to buy Inc
area in which they are found is so small ne
added "Only the island of New Guinea re-"
snaN adjacent islands and a small part OF Eastern
Australia"
How is it they don't spread?'
All that no knows But that part OF the
globe is singuary fertile in curious forms OF
animal life as the kangaroo for example. Even
the native humans, the bushmen, are Of strange
type
Couldn't the birds be bred in captivity?
mo On. has never born in captivity. ana,
indeed 1t is almost impossible to keep captive
bird of paradise alive. There are ten of them IN
the gardens of the Geological Society in London
but that is considered very wonderful for In every
other attempt TO bring living birds of paradise
from their native islands they have died on the
voyage
of the living birds can be gained from the muse
urn collection of dead ones. ,
"But IL is too bad said a member of the mu-
scum staff, that have to show them by ,arti-
hcal light We found, however. by sad experience
with some birds OF paradise we have had on ex-