NEW GUINEA AND THE PAPUANS 393 



of land birds have been discovered, and they conipvise a 

 larger proportion of beautiful and gorgeously coloured 

 species than are to be found in any other country. 

 About forty species of birds-of-paradise are now known, 

 and an immense variety of kingtishers, parrots, and 

 pigeons, including the most beautiful and remarkable of 

 their respective families. About forty genera of land- 

 l)irds are exclusively Papuan, as are considerably more 

 than 300 of the species ; and we may be sure that the 

 great mountain ranges still contain many treasures 

 for the ornithologist. The birds-of-paradise are without 

 doubt the chief feature of the Papuan ornis. With the 

 sole exception of Wallace's 8tandard-wing (Scmiojjtcra 

 wallacei), which occurs in the Moluccas, no species is 

 found except in New Guinea and its islands. Although 

 differing considerably from each other in form, all have 

 one characteristic in common — the development of 

 abnormal plumage of striking form and brilliant colouring. 

 Thus in Faradisca we find magnificent sub-alar plumes 

 of great length, and in colour ranging from deep red to 

 lemon yellow, according to the species. Farotia has stiff 

 and wire-like barbs, terminated by a spatulate expansion, 

 springing from above the eye, and tufts of metallic silver 

 at the forehead and occiput. In Einmachus the tail is of 

 extraordinary length, and large curved plumes of the 

 richest violet stand out above the thigh. Still more 

 curious are some species of Diijhyllodcs, with the two 

 middle feathers of the tail prolonged and coiled like a 

 watch-spring. In Lophorhhia a fan of velvet-black 

 feathers springs from the occiput and reaches beyond the 

 tail, while the breast is adorned with a pointed shield of 

 inetallic emerald green ; and the brilliant red king-bird 

 (Cicinnurus) has delicate shoulder -tufts and the ilisc- 

 shaped ends of the tail decorated with the same viviil 



