BIRDS OF PARADISE 





GORGET BIRD OF PARADISE. 

 ( Two-fifths natural size.) 



The Gorget 

 Bird of 

 Paradise 



This species (Astrapia nigra), 

 from the mountains of Central 

 New Guinea, is the sole repre- 

 sentative of its genus, and 

 brings us to the short-beaked or typical group 

 of the family. Having a long and graduated 

 tail, of which the central plumes are not 

 elongated into, wire-like shafts, it is especially 

 distinguished by the thick feathering of the- 

 lores and angle of the mouth, by the presence 

 of an erect frill surrounding the head, and 

 another frill of a golden coppery tint round 

 the throat. In the adult male the general 

 color of the upper parts is velvety black, with 

 a purplish gloss; the two long central tail 

 feathers are glossed with purple; the frill 

 round the head is golden green; while the 

 of the throat are steely black, with the above-mentioned gorget of brilliant 



