760 The Sparrow-like Birds 



when they attached themselves among the highest branches of the loftiest trees, 

 supported by the long tail plumes. The absence of the feet was accounted for 

 in another way by one chronicler, who states that the birds were accustomed to 

 getting drunk on nutmegs, and falling helpless to the ground had their legs 

 eaten off by ants. They were supposed to feed upon dew or vapor, or occa- 

 sionally upon the nectar of flowers, and the female was said to lay her single 

 egg upon the back of her consort. 



"None knowes their nest, none knowes the dam that breeds them. 

 Foodless they live; for th' Aire alonely feeds them: 

 Wingless they fly; and yet their flight extends, 

 Till with their flight, their unknown live's-date ends." 



These absurd notions remained current for more than two centuries, though 

 it was perhaps in fanciful mood that the great Linnaeus was prompted to name 

 the Great Bird-of-Paradise Apoda, or footless. But gradually from this maze 

 of myth and superstition has come a rational understanding of these incom- 

 parable birds, though as a matter of fact we are still in ignorance of the com- 

 plete history of perhaps a majority of the forms. While there have been 

 and indeed still are grave differences of opinion as to their proper systematic 

 position, it seems to be now pretty generally accepted that with the exception 

 of the Bower-birds (PtilonorhynchidcB), which were formerly, and by some 

 authorities are still, united with them, they find their closest of kin among the 

 Crows (Corvid(B\ which they resemble not only in the structure of the bill and 

 feet, but in habits and voice as well. The process of nature by which they 

 acquired such varied and beautiful plumage is of course quite unknown, 

 though it is difficult to see how it could have resulted purely as a result of 

 natural selection. 



Rifle-birds. The Paradiseidce as at present accepted Comprise about 

 sixty-five species disposed among some thirty genera, and are almost wholly 

 confined to New Guinea and the near-by Papuan Islands, with a limited num- 

 ber extending into Australia, mainly in the northeastern portion. The family 

 is capable of division into two fairly well marked subfamilies, in the first of 

 which (Fakinettina), known as the Long-billed or Slender-billed Birds-of -Para- 

 dise, the bill is elongated and slender with the culmen exceeding the tarsus in 

 length. Of the four genera and thirteen or fourteen species in this subfamily 

 we may begin with Ptilorhis, comprising the so-called Rifle-birds of Australia 

 and New Guinea, which take their name, it is said, from the resemblance 

 of their coloration to the uniform of the rifle regiments of the British army. 

 Although not by any means so gorgeously appareled as many of their relatives, 

 they are nevertheless very beautiful birds, especially the typical Rifle-bird 

 (P. paradisea), the male of which is velvety black above, changing to deep 

 fiery purple when viewed away from the light. The wings are black with the 

 coverts deep purple, and the secondaries shaded with violet and purplish blue, 

 while the tail is velvety black, the two central feathers burnished steel-green; 

 the top of the head is burnished coppery green, becoming metallic steel-blue on 



