492 AVES-BIRD OF PARADISE. 



As the country where they are bred has its tempestuous season, when 

 rains and thunders continually disturb the atmosphere, these birds are then 

 but seldom seen. The natives, who make a trade of killing and selling 

 these birds to the Europeans, generally conceal themselves in the trees where 

 they resort, and having covered themselves up from sight in a bower made 

 of the branches, ihey shoot at the birds with reedy arrows; and, as they 

 assert, if they happen to kill the king, they then have a good chance for 

 killing the greatest part of the flock. The chief mark by which they know 

 the king is by the ends of the feathers in his tail, which have eyes like those 

 of a peacock. When they have taken a number of these birds, their usual 

 method is to gut them, and cut of their legs. This has given rise to the 

 fable above quoted ; and the reason of this operation is, that the birds are 

 used in that country as aigrettes, and for other ornaments of dress ; and that 

 being the case, it is usual to cut ofl' the useless and less brilliant parts. They 

 then run a hot iron into the body, which dries up the internal moisture ; and 

 filling the cavity with salts and spices, they sell them to the Europeans for a 

 perfect trifle. 



THE KING BIRD OF PARADISEi 



Is about the size of a lark. The upper parts of the plumage are of a 

 bright red, and the breast is a blood red color, with a broad green bar. The 

 wing feathers are a little mottled with white and green, and the whole plu- 

 mage has a fine gloss like satin. The tail is remarkably short, and from it 

 spring two naked feathers, like those in the former species, except that 

 they coil in a spiral manner at the end. It is supposed to breed in New 

 Guinea, where there is also a species, the predominant color of which is 

 black. 



THE MAGNIFICENT BIRD OF PARADISE2 



Is superior to all the preceding in the beauty of its plumage. It is the 

 size of a blackbird. The crown of the head is a deep chesnut. At the 

 back part of the neck a tuft of yellowish feathers arises, each of which is 

 marked near the tip with a black spot ; beneath these, springs another tuft 



' Paradisea rcgia, Lin. ^ Paradisea magrdfica, Shaw. 



