522 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



recurved banil of feathers, whose hrilliancy is iinlescribahle, resembling the sheen of 

 emerald and toj)az, rather than any organic substance. Over the forehead is a large 

 jiatch of pure white iVaihers, which shine like satin; and from the sides of the head 

 spring the six wonderful feathers. The Italian traveler, Count d'Albertis, was the 

 first naturalist who ever shot a bird of this kind. Let me quote his description of how 

 the bird acted the first time it was seen by an ajipreciating eye: "After standing 

 still fur some moments in the middle of the little glade, the beautiful bird peered 

 about to see if all was safe, and then he began to move the long feathers of liis head, 

 and to raise and lower a small tuft of white feathers above his beak, which shone in 

 the rays of the sun like burnished silver; he also raised and lowered the crest of stiff 

 feathers, almo.st like scales, and glittering like bits of bright metal, with which his 

 neck was adorned. He sjtread and contracted the long feathers on his sides, in a way 

 that made him a])pear now larger and again smaller th:ni his real size, and jumjiing 

 first on one side and then on the other, he jilaced himself proudly in an attitude of 

 combat, as though he im.agiiied himself lighting with an invisible foe. xMl this time 

 he was uttering a curious note, as though calling on some one to admire his beauty, or 

 perhaps challenging an enemy. The deep silence of the forest was stirred by the 

 echoes of his voice." 



It is hard to say which one of the Paradise birds is the most beautiful or the most 

 curious, and want of space will only allow us to mention the names of Wallace's 

 standard-wing {Saniuptern tcu/lacii), with two curious long feathers standing erect 

 on each wing; Schlegel's Paradise bird {8c/ite//elia irilsoni), with a cobalt-blue 

 bald head, ornamenteil with a cross of velvety lilack feathers; the superb bird-of-Par- 

 adise (Lophorinti superha), with the bifurcated breast-shield, and the still more ex- 

 tr:iordiMary and enormous furcated feather-shieltl that rises from the lined neck; the 

 niagiiilicent bird-of-Paradise (IHplii/Uodes iii((;/)iifi\(i), with a similar b\it rounded and 

 straw-yt'liow nape, crest, and a pair of elegantly curved and long filamentous tail- 

 feathers ; and finally the metallic black manucodes, remarkable for the subcut.ancous 

 convolutions of the trachea, which may even occur in the females. 



In the Epimachina', long-billed, or sickle-billed birds-of-Paradise, the peculiarities 

 of which are indicated by the name, we find birds not less remark.able in form, and not 

 less glorious and beautiful in colors. We shall only mention the long-tailed JTpima- 

 chiis speciosus, with the enormous long tail, and a later.al fan similar to that of the 

 king l)ird-of-Paradise, and the Australian species of I'tilorhis, with a )tlum.age unsur- 

 passed ill its velvety softness and the richness of the dee]) ])uri)le of its color. The 

 jnost beautiful of this group, however, is, probably, the black, yellow, and white, twelve- 

 wired bird-of-Pai'.idisi' {Sdeiicldes iilba), figured in the accoiii])aiiyiiig cut, and long 

 known to the naturalists in museums, though first met with in the free state by AVal- 

 l.ace's assistant, Allen, and d'Albertis, wlioiii we (piole: "The Seleucides may ]iride 

 itself on account of its ])luniage, ami the singular shape of twelve of its fe.'ithers, six 

 of which, on each side of the breast, diminish into twelve very thin black threads, 

 terminating in a white point. The softness of the feathers of the back makes it very 

 delicate to the touch, like black velvet ; and in a strong light the color of the shield- 

 like feathers on the breast changes from green to bronze and a s]ilendid ])urj)le. The 

 bird is so gorgeous that it is j)erliaps n<it surpassed by any other of the feathered 

 tribes. The long feathers which cover the lower ])art of its body are of a very deli- 

 cate yellow color, which, shaded off into white, are of a deeper color on the sides. 

 Seleucides is chiefly frugivorous, although, as an exception, it may sometimes add a 

 little meat to its customary diet." 



