394 THE BIBDS OF PARADISE. [ch. xxxviii. 



The Paradisea apoda, as far as we have any certain 

 knowledge, is confined to the mainland of the Ani 

 Islands, never being found in the smaller islands which 

 surround the central mass. It is certainly not found in 

 any of the parts of New Guinea visited by the Malay and 

 Bugis traders, nor in any of the other islands where Birds 

 of Paradise are obtained. But this is by no means con- 

 clusive evidence, for it is only in certain localities that the 

 natives prepare skins, and in other places the same birds 

 may be abundant without ever becoming known. It is 

 therefore quite possible that this species may inhabit the 

 great southern mass of !N"ew Guinea, from which Aru has 

 been separated ; while its near ally, which I shall next 

 describe, is confined to the north-western peninsula. 



The Lesser Bird of Paradise (Paradisea papuana of 

 Bechstein), " Le petit Emeraude " of French authors, is a 

 much smaller bird than the preceding, although very 

 similar to it. It differs in its lighter brown colour, not 

 becoming darker or purpled on the breast; in the exten- 

 sion of the yellow colour all over the upper part of the 

 back and on the wing coverts ; in the lighter yellow of the 

 side plumes, which have only a tinge of orange, and at the 

 tips are nearly pure white ; and in the comparative short- 

 ness of the tail cirrhi. The female differs remarkably from 

 the same sex in Paradisea apoda, by being entirely white on 



