F A R A D I S E B I R D„ 



kind of crefcent or gorget, of half an inch or more in width, on the 

 fore partof the neck j beneath this, to the vent, the colour is dull 

 green, except on the middle of the belly, where there is a tranf- 

 verfe bright green band : the back is black, having both a copper 

 and purple glofs, in different lights: wings deep black ; beneath 

 them the feathers are downy, but do not exceed at all in length, 

 like in the other Bird of Paradife : the tail is of an enormous 

 length, and confifts of twelve feathers of unequal lengths, the 

 two middle ones being near twenty-two inches long, and the 

 outer one only five inches ; the colour of all of them much* 

 the fame as the back of the bird. 



A complete fpecimen of this moll lingular fpecies is in the pof- 

 feflion of Sir Jofeph Banks, who collected it in the voyage round- 

 the world 



This feems to bear fome affinity with the black Bird of Para- 

 dife mentioned by Forreft *, which he fays is four fpans in length., . 

 and of a black colour, without any remarkable glofs ; but as this- 

 is all he fays, the matter cannot well be determined. He adds,, 

 that the Alfoories, or inhabitants of the mountains in Mefprwal^ 

 ihoot thefe birds, and fell them to the people olTHdore,- 



L'Oifeau de Paradis a gorge violet, furnomme Ie Superbe, Son* Voj, ?-. 



p. 157. pi. 96. SUPERB 



Le Manucode noir de la Nouvelle Guinee, dit le Superbe, Buf. oif, iii, **• B ' 



p.. 169. — PI. enl. 632. 



^HIS is fomewhat bigger than the King' Paradife Bird -fv Description* 

 The bill is black j at the root of the upper mandible is a 



»■ Eorr. Foy. r . 140. N? 4, - _ f The 7%, in PL enU meafures tea inches., 



black--: 



