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green. The feathers of the head and neck are short 

 and thick, and look like plush. We saw them most 

 commonly in the low growth of the forest ; and that is, 

 doubtless, their habitat. The female is quite plain in 

 comparison with her mate, as is the case with all the 

 paradise birds with which I am acquainted. 



On one occasion, as I was looking for a bird that 

 was whistling from the top of a high tree, I heard 



KING-BIKD-OF-PARADISE. 



something trampling among the dry twigs on the 

 ground. At first I thought it was a native ; and, 

 wishing to see what he was about, I kept very quiet, 

 when to my surprise I saw a large cassowary coming 

 directly toward me. Having nothing but small shot 

 in my gun, I waited until he was within eight or ten 

 feet, and then fired directly into his neck. There was 

 a terrible jumping and thrashing around for a minute 

 or two, and then the giant bird started up the hill, on 



