BIRDS- OF-PARADISE. 



563 



leader. The head, neck, upper part of the breast, the back, wings, and 

 tail, are all of a deep red or maroon color, the head inclining to orange, 

 and the breast to a darker red. The belly is white. Across the chest 

 there is a band of beautiful green feathers, that, in some directions, 

 appear black. From each side beneath the shoulder arises a tuft of 

 broad, truncated, light-gray feathers, or plumes, two or three inches 



Fig. 4. 



King Bird-of-Pahadise {Cicinnurus regins). 



long, tipped with bright metallic green. From the middle of the tail 

 or upper-tail coverts proceed two shafts or filaments, appearing like 

 wires, about one-sixteenth of an inch thick, naked for about six inches, 

 then having a bright, golden-green web on the inner side of each shaft 

 to the end, each of which is there coiled outward in a spiral curve, 

 so as to forto a beautiful flat disk ; the shaft extending nearly twice 

 round the curve. This peculiarity gives to the bird its generic name, 

 cicinnunis, meaning a tail with curled feathers : its supposed leader- 

 ship gave to it its specific name. Most parts of the bird have an ex- 

 ceedingly brilliant, satin-like gloss. The female is of a dull-brown 

 color above ; gray, streaked with black, beneath ; tinged with red on 

 the wings ; and has a tail about three inches long. 



The Gold-breasted Bird-of-Paradise (Parotia sex2:>e7i7iis, Vieillot) 

 has three long, slender shafts, or feathers, proceeding from each side 

 of the head near the ear ; they being without web, except the part 

 near the outer end. These can be raised or lowered at pleasure, so as 

 to stand out horizontally on each side of the head, or left to hang 

 loosely backward. It has also a small crest. From each side beneath 

 the shoulders arise massive black plumes, with a loose web, like that 

 of ostrich-feathers. The general color of the bird is a deep, velvety 

 black ; the head, throat, and back, having a violet gloss ; the wings 



