392 THE BIRDS OF PARADISE. [ch. xxxviii. 



with me, and which lived two years in this country, show 

 that the complete plumage is retained during the whole 

 year, except during a short period of moulting as with 

 most other birds. 



The Great Bird of Paradise is very active and vigorous, 

 and seems to be in constant motion all day long. It is 

 very abundant, small flocks of females and young males 

 being constantly met with ; and though the full-plumaged 

 birds are less plentiful, their loud cries, which are heard 

 daily, show that they also are very numerous. Theii" 

 note is, " Wawk-wawk-wawk — Wok, wok-wok," and is so 

 loud and shrill as to be heard a great distance, and to 

 form the most prominent and characteristic animal somid 

 in the Aru Islands. The mode of nidification is un- 

 known ; but the natives told me that the nest was formed 

 of leaves placed on an ant's nest, or on some projecting 

 limb of a very lofty tree, and they believe that it contains 

 only one young bird. The egg is quite unknown, and the 

 natives declared they had never seen it ; and a very high 

 reward offered for one by a Dutch official did not meet 

 with success. They moult about January or February, and 

 in May, when they are in full plumage, the males assem- 

 ble early in the morning to exhibit themselves in the 

 singular manner already described at p. 252. This habit 

 enables the natives to obtain specimens with comparative 

 ease. As soon as they find that the birds have fixed 



