g30 INSESSOBES. 



rounded. The tarsi are robust, long, and covered by a single 

 feathered scale ; the toes long and strong, especially the hind 

 toe ; the claws large, curved, and powerful. The sides of the 

 body, the neck, the breast, the tail, and sometimes the head, are 

 ornamented with lengthened and peculiarly developed showy 

 feathers ; the plumage of the face and throat, is commonly of a 

 scaly or velvety texture, and most richly glossed with metallic 

 hues, while other parts of the body are frequently arrayed in 

 rich and brilliant colors. 



There are several species of these birds, but the EMERALD 

 BIRD OF PARADISE, which is figured on the Chart, is the one best 

 known. It is impossible adequately to describe its beauty of 

 form, and the vivid and changing tints of its plumage. The 

 generic part of the scientific name, Paradisea apoda, is from the 

 Greek Paradeisos, a pleasure-ground ; th^ specific name, which 

 means footless, was given it by Linnaeus, " because the older 

 naturalists called it footless. ' r The truth is, the natives of New 

 Guinea were accustomed to dry birds of this species, (having 

 first cut off the legs,) and to offer them for sale. They were 

 taken to other countries in this "footless" condition ; and hence, 

 conjectures arose that they lived in the air, buoyed up by the light- 

 ness of their feathery covering ; that the shoulders were used for 

 a nest ; that the only rest which they took, was by suspending 

 themselves from a branch by the filamentary feathers of the tail , 

 that their food was the morning dew, and other things of a like 

 character, amusing enough, but entirely without foundation, in 

 fact. So far from living wholly on dew, this bird eats no small 

 amount of insects, such as grasshoppers, etc., which, however, 

 it will not touch when dead ; it also feeds largely on the seeds 

 of the teak tree, and on figs and aromatics ; when alive, it is 

 about the size of a Common Jay, or Pigeon ; its note is like that 

 of the Starling. The body, breast, and lower parts, are of a 

 deep rich brown ; the forehead is clothed with close-set feathers 

 of a velvety black shot with green ; the throat of a rich golden 

 green ; the head yellow ; the sides of the tail are clothed with a 

 splendid plume of downy feathers of a soft yellow color. By 

 these are placed two long filaments, or thread-like shafts, 

 which extend nearly two feet in length. (See figure on the 

 Chart.) "Of these beautiful feathers, the bird is so proud, that 

 it will not suffer the least speck of dirt to remain upon them, 

 and it is constantly examining its plumage, to see that there are no 

 spots on it. When in its wild state, it always flies and sits with 

 its face to the wind, lest its elegant flying plumes should be dis- 

 arranged." The female is without these floating plumes of the 



