1506 



THE PERCHING BIRDS 



Wattled Bird 

 of Paradise 



Typical Birds 

 of Paradise 



copper; a ruff of black plumes springs from the shield on the neck; the flanks are 

 dusky black, and the under parts velvety grass green. 



An allied genus is represented by the wattled paradise bird {Para- 

 dig alia carunculata} of New Guinea, distinguished by the lores hav- 

 ing an erect orange-yellow wattle, while another of azure blue hangs 

 from each angle of the mouth; the tail being shorter than the body, and the head 

 and throat devoid of frills. 



The great bird of paradise (Paradisea apoda}, which was the first 

 known representative of the entire family, derives its specific name 

 from having been described by Linnaeus from a skin prepared in the 



Papuan fashion, with 

 the wings and feet cut 

 off. The genus, which 

 is represented by several 

 species from Papua and 

 the Aru and other 

 islands, is characterized 

 by the production of the 

 central pair of tail feath- 

 ers into extremely long, 

 horny wire-like shafts, 

 the absence of a shield, 

 on the back, and the 

 elongation of the flank 

 plumes into two huge 

 bunches of feathers 

 reaching far beyond the 

 tail. The great bird of 

 paradise, of the Aru 

 islands, is the largest 



representative of the genus measuring from fifteen to eighteen inches in total length, 

 and is described by Mr. Wallace as follows: "The body, wings, and tail are of a 

 rich coffee brown, which deepens on the breast to a blackish violet or purple brown. 

 The whole of the top of the head and neck is of an exceedingly-delicate straw 

 yellow, the feathers being short and close set, so as to resemble plush or velvet; 

 the lower part of the throat up to the eye is clothed with scaly feathers of an 

 emerald-green color, and with a rich metallic gloss, and velvety plumes of a still 

 deeper green extend in a broad band across the forehead and chin as far as the 

 eye, which is bright yellow. The beak is pale lead blue; and the feet, which 

 are rather large, and Very strongly and well formed, are of a pale ashy pink. The 

 two middle feathers of the tail have no webs, except a very small one at the 

 base and at the extreme tip, forming wire-like cirri, which spread out in an elegant 

 double curve, and vary from twenty-four to thirty inches in length. From each 

 side of the body, beneath the wings, springs a dense tuft of long and delicate plumes, 

 sometimes two feet in length, of the most intense golden-orange color, and very 



JREAT BIRD OF PARADISE. 



