OCR Text |
Show 532 LETTER FROM MR. W. J. HOFFMAN. [Nov. 2, the present animal should now be called. I have also obtained a second species of Kangaroo, which I believe to be new, but have not been able to determine accurately, from the specimen being immature and its dentition imperfect*. The adult animal, of which I have seen several individuals in the forest, is larger than D. luctuosa. " In the river, along which I penetrated into the interior some way, Crocodiles were abundant. In two hours I saw nine, large and small, but only one of really considerable size. Here also near this island on calm days I have often seen them ; and, judging from their heads, which they thrust out of the water, they must be of large size. They seem to have fixed places in which they pass many hours of the day; for passing many times I always see them at the same posts. " I was rather fortunate in m y excursion into the mountains; for I found Paradisea raggiana, and obtained some beautiful specimens in full dress. In its voice, in its movements, and in its attitudes, it perfectly resembles the other species of the genus. It feeds on fruit; and I could find no trace of insects in the seven individuals which I prepared. It inhabits the dense forest, aud is generally found near the ravines-perhaps because the trees on the fruit of which it feeds prefer the neighbourhood of water. The female is always smaller in size than the male; and I find this sex less abundant, because, as I believe, it is the season of incubation. Tbe female is more like the same sex of P. apoda than that of P. papuana. The young male is like the female, but often recognizable by having distinguishable traces of the yellow collar which in the old male divides the green of the throat from the breast-feathers. The irides are of a rather bright yellow, and the feet lead-colour with a reddish tinge. The long flank-feathers in individuals recently killed have a very bright tint, which they lose in a few days-even in a few hours. The two middle tail-feathers are filiform, as those of P. apoda and P. papuana, and in no stage of development resemble those of P. rubra. These two feathers are not so long as in P. apoda, and about equal to those of P. papuana. Like its sister species, P. raggiana is an inquisitive bird, and often approaches from branch to branch within a few yards of the hunter, and remains motionless for some seconds to observe its pursuer, stretching out its neck, flapping its wings and emitting a peculiar cry, upon the sound of which other individuals come forward to join it. When one is wounded and cries out, many others come forward as if to protect it, and approach quite near, descending to the lowest boughs. The adult males frequent the tops of the highest trees, as Mr. Wallace observed in the other species, and as I also remarked in m y former expedition. As regards the nidification I have as yet obtained no information." A letter was read from Mr. Walter J. Hoffman, dated Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., July 15th 1875, containing a sketch of a horn of an American Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) with a double prong. * [Probably Macropus papuensis, lately described by Peters and Doria from M. d'Albertis's specimen!*, Ann. Mus. Gen. vii. p. 344.-P. L. S.] |