Birds-of-Paradise 769 



pression at will, while above the ear-coverts are tufts of elongated, silky, hair- 

 like plumes, from among which spring the six wonderful feathers from which 

 the bird receives its name. These are slender wires six inches long, each orna- 

 mented with an ovate racket of velvety black at the extremity. There is also an 

 immense tuft of soft feathers on each side of the breast. This splendid bird 

 was for many years only known from the flat, badly prepared skins obtained from 

 the natives, but recently Signer D'Albertis has observed it in a living state, and 

 from him we quote the following account : " After standing still for some moments 

 in the middle of the little glade, the beautiful bird peered about to see if all was 

 safe, and then he began to move the long feathers of his head, and to raise and 

 lower a small tuft of white feathers above his beak, which shone in the rays of 

 the sun like burnished silver; he also raised and lowered the crest of stiff feathers, 

 almost like scales, and glittering like bits of bright metal, with which his neck 

 was adorned. He spread and contracted the long feathers on his sides in a way 

 that made him appear now larger and again smaller than his real size, and, 

 jumping first on one side and then on the other, he placed himself proudly in 

 an attitude of combat, as though he imagined himself fighting with some 

 invisible foe." 



Standard Wing. Differing from the last in the absence of the wire-like 

 head plumes is the equally remarkable Standard Wing (Semioptera walladi) of 

 the islands of Gilolo and Batchian, which is distinguished at once by the presence 

 of two long, narrow, white feathers which spring from among the short plumes 

 at the bend of the wing and are capable of being erected at pleasure. The 

 length of these feathers is from six to six and a half inches, the upper one slightly 

 exceeding the lower, while the total length of the bird is slightly over eleven 

 inches. Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace, who discovered this peculiar bird on the 

 island of Batchian, describes it as follows : " The general color is a delicate olive- 

 brown, deepening to a kind of bronzy olive in the middle of the back, and chang- 

 ing to a delicate ashy violet with a metallic gloss on the crown of the head. 

 The feathers which cover the nostrils and extend halfway down the beak are 

 loose and curved upward. Beneath, it is much more beautiful. The scale-like 

 feathers of the breast are margined with rich, metallic blue-green, which color 

 entirely covers the throat and sides of the neck, as well as the long, pointed plumes 

 which spring from the sides of the breast and extend nearly as far as the end of 

 the wings. The bill is horny olive and the feet bright orange. This bird fre- 

 quents the lower trees of the forest, and, like most Paradise-birds, is in constant 

 motion, flying from branch to branch, clinging to the twigs and even to the 

 smooth and vertical trunks as easily as a Woodpecker. The males at short 

 intervals open and flutter their wings, erect the long shoulder feathers, and 

 spread out the elegant green breast shields." 



Superb Bird-of -Paradise. With a brief description of the Superb Bird-of- 

 Paradise (Lophorina superba) we must close our account of the typical members 

 of this family. In this little bird it is but nine inches in length the "acme 

 of strange plumal adornment seems to be attained," since in addition to a beauti- 

 ful pectoral shield of bright, metallic green plumes there springs from the nape 



