4.20 



THE GOLDEN BIRD OF PARADISE. 



INCOMl'AUAni.K UlliO OF rXKXDlSE.—ParadismguUrU. 



Another species of these wonderful 

 liirds is Avell represented in the accom- 

 panying illustration. This is the In- 



COMPAKABLE BiKD OF PARADISE, alsO an 



inhaliitant of New CJuinea. 



This bird is remarkable not only for 

 the glorious iridescent splendour of its 

 robes, but for the extraordinary develop- 

 ment of its tail and the velvety crest on 

 its head, which would render it a truly 

 beautiful bird even were the plumage a 

 sober black or brown. Indeed, on first 

 seeing one of these birds, it is difficult to 

 believe that it is not altogether a " made- 

 up" specimen, composed, like the many 

 mermaids now in existence, of portions 

 taken from different species and inge- 

 nioiTsly put together. We are accustomed 

 by our knowledge of tlie peacock to see 

 a bird with a disproportionately long 

 train, but in this case the true tail- 

 feathers are developed both in length 

 and widtli to such an extent that they 

 hardly seem to have started from the 

 little body to which they belong. 



The true position of this species has 

 been much doubted by naturalists, some 

 having considered it to be analogous to 

 the thrushes, and having accordingly 

 placed it near those birds, while others 

 have ranked it among the Paradise Birds, 

 but have made it into a fresh genus. 

 Tliere seems, however, no real cause for 

 removing it from the other Paradise 

 Birds, and thus increasing the number 

 of genera, which is already allowed to 

 be far too large. As it is by no means 

 a common bird, and the natives of New 

 Guinea are not oliscrvant naturalists, 

 caring nothing for the birds but the price 

 which is paid for their skins, very little 

 is known of its habits. The tail of this 

 species is fully three times as long as the 

 body, the head is ornamented with a 

 doulile crest of glittering feathers, and 

 its whole plumage glows with an efiul- 

 gence of varied hues that almost baffle 

 description. This gorgeous plumage be- 

 longs only to the male ; the female being 

 smaller, comparatively sober in hue, and 

 devoid of the beautiful crest which adorns 

 the head of her mate. 



It is hardly possible to conceive a 

 more singular arrangement of plumage 

 than is presented in the GOLDEN Bird 

 UK I\uiADISE, although in many species 



