NEW GUINEA AND ITS INHABITANTS 



429 



Two other species are sufficiently beautiful and distinct 

 to be here referred to, and, by the kindness of Dr. R. B. 

 Sharpe and Messrs. H. Sotheran and Co., I am allowed 

 to give a photographic reduction of the plates which 

 illustrate the former gentleman's beautiful monograph of 

 the family. The first is Rothschild's Bird of Paradise. 



Fig. G5.— Rothschild's bird of paradise {Astrapia splendidissiiua). 



This magnificent bird somewhat resembles in general 

 form the old Paradise Pie (Astrapia nigra) briefly 

 described in my Malay Archipelago (p. 435), and, like 

 it, has none of the greatly lengthened feathery ornaments 

 which usually characterise the species of this family, but 

 it far surpasses that species in its varied and brilliant 

 colouring, which are very inadequately indicated in the 



