The Six-Shafted Bird of Paradise, 565 



are scaled with broad flat feathers of an intense golden hue, 

 changing to green and blue tints in certain lights. On the 

 back of the head is a broad recurved band of feathers, whose 

 brilliancy is indescribable, resembling the sheen of emerald 

 and topaz rather than any organic substance. Over the fore- 

 head is a large j^atch of pure white feathers, which shine like 

 satin ; and from the sides of the head spring the six wonder- 

 ful feathers from which the bird receives its name. These are 

 slender wires, six inches long, with a small oval web at the ex- 

 tremity. In addition to these ornaments, there is also an im- 

 mense tuft of soft feathers on each side of the breast, which 



THE SIS-SHAFTED BIRD OF PARADISE (Parotia sexpennis). 



when elevated must entirely hide the wings, and give the bird 

 an appearance of being double its real bulk. The bill is black, 

 short, and rather compressed, with the feathers advancmg over 

 the nostrils, as in Cicinnurus regius. This singular and bril- 

 liant bird inhabits the same region as the Superb Bird of 

 Paradise, and nothing whatever is known about it but what 

 we can derive from an examination of the skins preserved by 

 the natives of New Guinea. 



The Standard Wing, named Semioptera wallacei by Mr. 

 G. R. Gray, is an entirely new form of Bird of Paradise, dis- 



