The Standard Wing. 567 



ian, and all the specimens from the former island have the 

 green breast-shield rather longer, the drown of the head dark- 

 er violet, and the lower parts of the body rather more strong- 

 ly scaled with green. This is the only paradise bird yet found 

 in the Moluccan district, all the others being confined to the 

 Papuan Islands and North Australia. 



We now come to the Epimachidae, or Long-billed Birds of 

 Paradise, which, as before stated, ought not to be separated 

 from the Paradiseidte by the intervention of any other birds. 

 One of the most remarkable of these is the Twelve-wired Par- 

 adise Bird, Paradisea alba of Blumenbach, but now placed in 

 the genus Seleucides of Lesson. 



This bird is about twelve inches long, of which the com- 

 pressed and curved beak occupies two inches. The color of 

 the breast and upper surface appears at first sight nearly black, 

 but a close examination' shows that no part of it is devoid of 

 color ; and by holding it in various lights, the most rich and 

 glowing tints become visible. The head, covered with short 

 velvety feathers, which advance on the chin much farther than 

 on the upper part of the beak, is of a purplish bronze color ; 

 the whole of the back and shoulders is rich bronzy green, while 

 the closed wings and tail are of the most brilliant violet purple, 

 all the plumage having a delicate silky gloss. The mass of 

 feathers which cover the breast is really almost black, with 

 faint glosses of green and purple, but their outer edges are 

 margined with glittering bands of emerald green. The whole 

 lower part of the body is rich buffy yellow, including the tuft 

 of plumes which spring from the sides, and extend an inch 

 and a half beyond the tail. When skins are exposed to the 

 light the yellow fades into dull white, from which circumstance 

 it derived its specific name. About six of the innermost of 

 these plumes on each side have the midrib elongated into slen- 

 er black wires, which bend at right angles, and curve somewhat 

 backward to a length of about ten inches, forming one of 

 those extraordiary and fantastic ornaments with which this 

 group of birds abounds. The biU is jet black, and the feet 

 bright yellow. (See lower figure on the plate at the begin- 

 ning of this chapter.) 



The female, although not quite so plain a bird as in some 

 other species, presents none of the gay colors or ornamental 



