33« PERCHING BIRDS. 



very distinct form. Measuring from 13 to 14 inches in length, it has the flank- 

 plumes shorter, and of a rich crimson hue, while in structure they are rigid, their 

 tips being horny, and nearly white. The forehead, sides of the head, and the whole 

 throat are a brilliant metallic green, with tin- plumes of a velvety texture; the 

 sides of the neck and entire mantle are bright golden -yellow, deepening into 

 orange on the sides of the mantle and the middle of the back; the rump is straw- 

 yellow, the two central feathers consisting of two long shafts, 21 inches in length, of a 

 metallic horny structure ; the wing-coverts are golden yellow ; the primaries ruddy 

 chestnut ; and breast deep purplish chestnut. The female and young have the 

 sides of the head and forehead purplish brown : the hind-part of the head, neck, 

 and mantle straw-yellow, deepening into orange ; the remainder of the upper 

 surface, including the wings and tail, being chestnut-brown, as are the lower-parts. 



Thoroughly arboreal in their habits, the birds of this genus live 

 Habits 



both upon insects and fruits ; and occasionally they may be seen 



running along the lower boughs of trees almost like woodpeckers, with the long, 

 black filaments of the tail hanging gracefully down on each side. In motion 

 throughout the day, they are active and vigorous ; and while small flocks of females 

 and immature males are constantly met with, the adult cocks are less commonly 

 seen, although their presence near by is revealed by their loud and harsh cries. 

 At certain seasons of the year the adult males flock together in a selected tree for 

 the purpose of display, forming what the natives term dancing-parties. " On one 

 of these trees," says Mr. Wallace, " a dozen or twenty full-plumaged male birds 

 assemble together, raise up their wings, stretch out their necks, and elevate their 

 exquisite plumes, keeping them in a continual vibration Between whiles they fly 

 across from branch to branch in a state of great excitement, so that the whole tree 

 is tilled with waving plumes in every variety of attitude and motion." When thus 

 assembled, the birds are shot with blunt-headed arrows by the natives, who climb 

 silently into the "play-tree^-' and seat themselves in some convenient fork. From con- 

 tinual persecution to supply the European market with skins, the great bird of para- 

 dise, according to Dr. Guillemard, has of late years greatly diminished in numbers. 



King Paradise The beautiful little king bird of paradise {Cieinnurvs regiu8\ 



Bird. from New Guinea and the adjacent islands, forms the type of a 



distinct genus, distinguished by the flank-plumes not extending beyond the tail, 

 by the presence of a large tuft of fan-like plumes on each side of the breast, and 

 by the two central tail-feathers being long and racket-like. Measuring only 

 about 6i inches in length, this lovely species has the head, throat, upper-parts, 

 wings, and tail red, the fan-like plumes on the sides purplish, tipped with green, 

 a green gorget below the red of the throat, and the rest of the under-parts white. 



Wilson's Bird The remarkable species (DipkyllocU s wilson !) we illustrate may be 



of Paradise, included in a Papuan genus, typically represented by the magnificent 

 paradise-bird (D. magnifica), and distinguished from the preceding by the presence 

 of a shield of feathers on the back, and the absence of elongated flank -plumes ; 

 while from an allied genus (Rhipidornis) it differs in having no fan-shaped shield 

 of feathers springing from each side of the breast. Whereas, however, in the 

 magnificent paradise-bird the head is thickly feathered, in the species under 

 consideration, with the exception of a few narrow tracts of feathers, it is bare ; on 



