The Brinkley argus., 1910-08-05

wooden images, designed as eartniy habitations for the ghosts of the de- parted. likewise in the carved head rests and figure-heads of praus, which are generally executed with iron tools.
 Their religion consists mainly Of saint-worship and their feasts, which are held on such occasions as mar riages and burials, are celebrated with singing and dancing. Chiefs are unknown, each community of people li.ing by itself, and in state of per petual warfare with its neighbors, having different dialect, facts which have rendered European administra- ton extremely difficult.
 Kingfishers, parrots and pigeons of most brilliant plumage are very nu- merously represented in New Guinea, and in their way are almost as stll- king and remarkable as the birds of paradise Among the birds of prey the most remarkable known species is the harpy-goshawk (Harpyopsis). which is, perhaps, most nearly allied to the great monkey-eating eagle (Pithecophaga) of the Philippines and to the harpy- agles of America. There is proba bly also another very large eagle which up to the present time has not been obtained. Cassowaries, brush-turkeys and megapodes are well represented, and among the small birds we have sun-birds, flower-peck- CTS, honey-eaters and fycatchers, as we'll as many more too numerous to mention, large number belonging to peculiar genera and species. It Is difficult to forecast what new species of birds may yet be forthcoming, but we may safely assume that many nov cities will be obtained. The same may be said about the reptiles, in which the faupa of New Guinea Is par ticularly rich. The chelonians. or tor toises. and turtles are the most in teresting group from the mingling of Asiatic, American and Australian types, and for the discovery in the Fly river, some 25 years ago, of huge fresh-water turtle (Carettoche- lys insculpta), which proves to be the type of distinct family. More re- gently. snapping turtle, allied to Chelydra, has been found in the same river and described as Devisia myth odes. The family Chelydridae, or family snapping-turties, is otherwise l confined to North and tropical Amer ca. The lizards are essential orien- 1 tai: Wallace's line does not exist for these reptiles. The genera are most widely distributed, but allusion may be made to the curious scincoid, l TriEolonotus, with its large spiny 1 bony shields, and to the remarkable crested Agamas. Conyocephalus. Tree monitors (Varanus!, green or black, are also characteristic of the Papuan ] fauna. Snakes ale represented by 1 members of the Eoa and python groups, harmless coiahrids, poisonous 7, colubrids-allied to the cobras and very similar to their Australian al lies highly poisonous colubrids- forming the great bulk of the Austra. liam snake-fauna--aId burrowing blind snakes (Typhlops). Batrachians be- long to the families of true frogs (Ranidae), tree frogs tHylidae) and 1 toad-frogs tEngystomatidae). True toads tBufonidae), although they are represented in the Malay sub-region and in Australia, have not yet been found in New Guinea nor in the Solo mon islands, which lie to the east Hitherto very few species of fresh. ] water fishes have been found, and none which call for any special no tice
 The land and fgaeh.water shells of | New Guinea, even as far as they are known at present, are very numerous i'll species, and many of them, espe cially the lapd-snails, are very beau tiful both in form and color. The shell-fauna has, however, been only partially investigated, and doubtless q large number of species remain to be discovered. Suck large area of the island is etill unexplored conchologi cally that 1t will rot be surprising il many new forms are eventually mel
 ". R. OGILVIE-GRANT.