AVES. 489 



Family XXXVIII. Paradiseince. Wings with ten primaries. 

 Wing-coverts short, iirst quill-feather moderate. Tarsi mostly 

 long, covered anteriorly with transverse, sometimes obsolete scutes. 

 Bill moderate, conical, moderately curved, compressed towards 

 the tip. 



Paradisea L, (except Paradisea tristis). Bill longer than head, 

 with culmen rounded, the tip slightly deflected, emarginate. 

 Nostrils basal, lateral, concealed by the flocky plumes that cover 

 the base of bill. Tarsus longer than middle fore toe, outer toe 

 longer than inner. Claws large, compressed, curved. Wings witli 

 first quill short, fifth and sixth subequal, longest of all. Tail even, 

 broad or rounded. I'lumes of hypochondria often longer. 



Birds of Paradise. Birds beautifully ornamented, of which all the 

 species belong to New Guinea and the neighbouring islands. They feed 

 on the fruit of fig-trees and also on insects. The Papuas, who sell these 

 birds as an ornament of dress, usually cut off their legs and wings. 



Compare Le Vaillant Hist. nat. des Oiseaux de Paradis et des Rolliers. 

 Paris, 1806, 1 vol. fol. — R. P. Lesson, Hist. nat. des Oiseaux de Paradis 

 et des Epimaques, Paris, 1835, i vol. 8vo. 



In the males of most of the species the two middle tail-feathers are 

 lengthened into filaments which exhibit rudiments only of a vane. 

 {Paradisea Vieill., add Dlphyllodes Less., Cicinnurus Vieill.) 



Sp. Paradisea apoda L. (in part), Paradisea major Shaw, Buff. PI. enl. 

 256, Less. Ois. de Par. PI. 6, Arou-islands ; — Paradisea minor Fokstek, 

 Less., Paradisea paimana Bechst., Gray, Less. 1. 1. PI. 2 — 5, New 

 Guinea; — Paradisea r«6ra Vieill., Less. Ornith. PI. 37, fig. i, Ois. de 

 Parad. PI. 7, 8; — Paradisea re<jia L., Cicinnurus spinturnix Less., Bdff. 

 PI. enl. 496, Cuv. R. Ani., id. ill., Ois. PI. 39, fig. ■3,;— Paradisea magni- 

 fica Scop., Lath., Sonner. Voyage a la Nouv. Guin. PI. 98, Buff. PI. 

 enl. 631. 



In others those filaments are wanting. 



Sp. Paradisea aurea Gm., Paradisea sexsetacea Lath., Sonner. 1. 1. PI. 97, 

 Buff. PI. enl. 633 (Parotia sexsetacea Vieill.) ; — Paradisea superha Scop., 

 Parad. nigra Forbt. , LopJwrina superbaYiEiLL,, Sonnek. 1.1. p. 96, Buff. 

 PI. enl. 632, Less. Ois. de Par. PI. 13, 14. 



Epimachus Cuv. Bill long, slender, cloven as far as under 

 the eyes. Nostrils basal, covered by silken plumes. Wings with 

 fourth quill longest (or in males sixth and seventh subequal, 

 longest of all). Hallux strong, long. (Plumes of hypochondria 

 very long in males.) 



