334 



PERCHING BIRDS. 



The Gorget Bird This species (Astrapia nigra), from the mountains of Central 



of Paradise. New Guinea, is the sole representative of its genus, and brings us to 

 the short-beaked or typical group of the family. Having a long and graduated 

 tail, of which the central plumes are not elongated into wire-like shafts, it is 

 especially distinguished by the thick feathering of the lores and angle of the 

 mouth, by the presence of an erect frill surrounding the head, and another frill 

 of a golden coppery tint round the throat. In the adult male the general 

 colour of the upper-parts is velvety black, with a purplish gloss ; the two long- 

 central tail-feathers are glossed with purple; the frill round the head is golden- 

 green ; while the feathers of the throat are steely black, with the above-mentioned 

 gorget of brilliant copper ; a ruff of black plumes springs from the shield on the 

 neck ; the flanks are dusky black, and the under-parts velvety grass-green. 

 wattled Bird An allied genus is represented by the wattled paradise -bird 



of Paradise. (Paradigalla carunculata) of New Guinea, distinguished by the lores 

 having an erect orange-yellow wattle, while another of azure blue hangs from each 

 angle of the mouth ; the tail being shorter than the body, and the head and throat 

 devoid of frills. 



Typical Birds of The great bird of paradise (Paradisea apoda), which was the 



Paradise. fi rs t known representative of the entire family, derives its specific 



name from having been described by Linnoeus from a skin prepared in the Papuan 



fashion, with the wings 

 and feet cut off. The 

 genus, which is repre- 

 sented by several species 

 from Papua and the 

 Aru and other islands, 

 is characterised by the 

 production of the cen- 

 tral pair of tail-feathers 

 into extremely long, 

 horny, wire-like shafts, 

 the absence of a shield 

 on the back, and the 

 elongation of the flank- 

 plumes into two huge 

 bunches of feathers 

 reaching far beyond the 

 tail. The great bird of 

 paradise, of the Aru 

 Islands, is the largest 

 representative of the genus, measuring from 15 to 18 inches in total length, and is 

 described by Mr. Wallace, as follows :— " The body, wings, and tail are of a rich 

 coffee-brown, which deepens on the breast to a blackish violet or purple-brown. 

 The whole of the top of the head and neck is of an exceedingly delicate straw - 

 yellow, the feathers being short and close set, so as to resemble plush or velvet ; 

 the lower part of the throat up to the eye is clothed with scaly feathers of an 



(IRE AT BIRD OF PARADISE. 



