1510 



THE PERCHING BIRDS 



Another strange and beautiful representative of a group in which all 

 . - are lovely beyond description is the six-plumed bird of paradise (Pa- 

 Paradise r ti a sexpennis) of New Guinea, which is the only known member of its 

 genus. In common with the remaining members of the family, this 

 bird has a short tail, without any elongation of the central pair of feathers, while it 

 is specially characterized by three pairs of very long racket feathers springing from 

 the sides of the head. With the exception of a vivid steely-green bar across the 

 crown of the head, and a tuft of silvery feathers at the base of the beak, together 

 with a green and bronze gorget on the breast, the plumage is almost entirely black; 

 the tuft of silvery feathers on the beak being capable of erection or depression at will. 

 For many years this splendid species was known only by skins badly prepared by 

 the natives; but eventually it was observed in the living state by Signor Albertis, 

 who writes as follows of his first sia:ht of it in its native haunts: " After standing 



HEAD OF SIX-PLUMED BIRD OF PARADISE. 

 (I-i-oin Guillemard's Cruise of the "Afarchesa.") 



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

 about to see if all were safe, and then he began to move the long feathers of his 

 head, six in number, from which his name is derived, 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, almost like 

 scales and glittering like bits of bright metal, with which his neck was adorned. 

 He spread and contracted the long feathers on his sides in a way that made him 

 appear now larger and again smaller than his real size, and, jumping first on one 

 side and then on the other, he placed himself proudly in an attitude of combat, as 

 though he imagined himself fighting with some invisible foe. All this time he was 

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

 haps challenging an enemy." From this account it would appear that the species 

 is much less arboreal in its habits than the other members of the family. 



