The Aviaries and Birds at Roddam Castle. 103 



" ail olrvated crest of purplish i'eatlicrs ; crown of head, nape, 

 " laiiil h.iud neck spangled with metallic steel-coloured feathers, each 

 "of wluch has a subterniinal bar oi purple; sides of face, sides 

 "of neck, and entire throat deep coppery bronze; on the loreneck 

 ".and breast a pectoral shield of metallic green plumes, most of 

 " which have a nari'ow edging of copper; remainder of undersurface 

 " l)urplish black. Total length 9 inches, culmen 1.15, wing 4.55, 

 " tail 3.0." 



Mr. A. P. Goodwill, wlio met with the specie.s, on the 

 Owen Stanley JNIouiitains, thus tersely describes them: 



" At an altitude of 5,000 feet we came across this Siiiierb 

 Bii'd of Paradise, and as it lluttered about on the highest perch it 

 could lind, it looked no bigger than a butterfly." 



LAAVE'S SIX-PLUMED B. of P. (Parofia laivesi). 

 Another lovely species, which is well known to visitors 'to the 

 London Zoo, is most interesting, as well as grotesque, Avhen 

 in display. This bird is principally rich purplish-black, 

 with a surface like velvet — it is ancthev case of light 

 refraction, for according to play of light and changing pos- 

 ition, it appears as if clad in a bronzy garment of many, 

 colours.* 



Mr. A. P. Goodwin thus describes their habits: 



" Our camp (height 4,000 feet) was near one of their play- 

 grounds, and I had good opportunity of watching their movements. 

 In form and habits it resembles the Silky Bower Birds. It has 

 a similar bill, beautiful blue eyes and short legs, and like the 

 Bower Bird is very cautious, restless and swift. It has also a 

 similar flig'iht — although P. Icvivcsi, does not 'built a bower, still it 

 has a play ground, where a number of these birds (from six to 

 eight) may be found playing together." 



I must content myself with a partial description o*f the 

 male . 



AuuLT AIaijE. Mostly rich purplish velvety black, adorned 

 on the crown with bars of metallic green, puri^le and blue, and 

 on the lower throat and foreneck with a shield of metallic bronzy 

 golden -copper, with reflections of steel-green, blue and purple; above 

 the ear coverts are tufts of silky hair-like plumes, 'from which 

 spring (three on each side) thread-like shafts with racket-like tips — 

 these plumes the bird has the power of raising and extending 

 forward — in fact during display their changing position is almost 

 bewildering. Tlie frontal plumes are purplish tipped with white, 

 very stiff and capable of being extending forward over the upper 



*0n 'June 29th 1 saw this species at the London Zoo, re- 

 galing itself on a Leithorix, which it had killed and partially eaten. 



