428 



STUDIES, SCIENTIFIC AND SOCIAL 



CHAP. 



These are fourteen inches long, the bird itself from beak 

 to tail being about eight inches. They can hardly be 

 called feathers, since they consist only of a slender shaft 

 from the outer side of which grow a series of sub- 

 quadrangular thin horny lamellae resembling the fronds of 

 some ferns. These lamellae are of a beautiful blue colour 

 (called by Dr. Meyer " forget-me-not blue "), thus strongly 



fm'mm'^1 



V 



Fig. 64.— the fern-bearing bird of paradise {Pterklophora Alherti). 



contrasting with the whole of the body colours, and con- 

 stituting one of the most striking and beautiful ornaments 

 to be found not only in this wonderful family but in the 

 whole class of birds. Even in this rich and still largely 

 unknown island we can hardly expect to discover anything 

 that will surpass this bird in eccentricity and beauty. It 

 has been named Fterido'pliora Alberti, after King Albert of 

 Saxony. The photograph from the coloured plate shows 

 the general character of the species. 



