PARADISEA. BIRDS. 209 



red side feathers, and two broad naked shafts. Body 9 inches long, 

 to the tip of the flowing feathers 13 inches. Shaw, vii. pi. 59. 

 P. magnified, Shaw. Plumage orange-chestnut above, top of the 

 head and back deeper than the rest, the head sometimes inclining 

 to purple; tips of the wings and tail brown; throat blackish purple; 

 breast, belly, and thighs of a deep changeable golden-green, in- 

 clining to blue down the middle of the breast ; a double ruff of 

 setaceous orange-coloured and yellow feathers on the neck, tip- 

 ped with black ; bill and legs yellowish brown. Inhabits New 

 Guinea. Shaw, vii. pi. 62. 



P. regia, Lin. Royal Bird of Paradise. Plumage red chestnut, 

 with a golden pectoral band; the two middle tail-feathers filiform, 

 with lunated feathered tips. Five to seven inches long. Inhabits 

 Indian Islands. Shaw, vii. pi. 67. 



This is the smallest of the tribe, not exceeding the size of a lark, and usually 

 measuring five inches, or five inches and a-half, in length, without reckoning the 

 two middle tail-feathers, which are about six inches long, in the form of naked shafts, 

 divaricating as they extend, and each terminating in a moderately broad gold green 

 web, rising from one side only of the shaft, and disposed into a flat spiral, of nearly 

 two convolutions. 



P. superba, Shaw. Bill black, with velvet-like black feathers ris- 

 ing into a bifid crest at its base ; forehead shining golden-green ; 

 throat and sides of the neck glossy purple, with the feathers of a 

 rounded form ; lower part of the breast with a broad band of blue 

 green feathers of a golden hue, diverging and lengthened like a 

 forked wing ; the rest of the plumage, with the wings, brownish 

 black ; wing-coverts broad, falciform feathers on the shoulders ap- 

 pearing like double wings ; legs black. Inhabits New Guinea. 

 Shaw, vii. pi. 63. 



P. sexsetacea, Lath. (Parotia aurea, Vieill.) Golden-breasted Bird 

 of Paradise. Plumage velvet-black ; hind-head and breast gold- 

 'green; side feathers lengthened, and loose-webbed; head fur- 

 nished on each side with three very long naked shafts, five or six 

 inches in length, and terminating in broad oval webs ; tail com- 

 posed of twelve graduated feathers, of a rich velvety black colour, 

 some of these feathers with long, separated, and floating webs ; bill 

 black ; iris yellow ; feet blackish. From ten to eleven inches in 

 length. Inhabits New Guinea Shaw, vii. pi. 66. 



Gen. 20. LAMPROTORNIS, Tern. 



Bill of medium size, convex above, compressed at the point, 

 which is notched ; base depressed, and ridge between the fea- 

 thers of the forehead ; nostrils basal, lateral, ovoid, half shut 

 by an arched membrane, often covered by feathers; legs long; 

 tarsus longer than the intermediate toe ; internal toe joined 

 at its base, the external free ; wings, the fourth and fifth quill- 

 feathers longest. 



All the species are of the Old Continent, the greater part from Africa. Their 

 plumage is brilliant, shining with metallic lustre. In their habits they resemble 

 the Stares. 



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