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frequents the bushes growing upon the sea-coast. Its movements are extremely restless, and, like other 

 Birds of Paradise, it seems to revel in its own beauty as it spreads its plumage and raises the golden 

 collar round its throat, meanwhile demonstrating its satisfaction by uttering a soft noise not unlike the 

 mewing of a kitten. Writers of former days inform us that these beautiful creatures fly about in parties 

 under the guidance of a male bird distinguished from the rest by the superior development of the tail, 

 and that the flock are inconsolable if they lose their leader ; but more modern naturalists do not 

 mention this supposed peculiarity, which we must therefore regard as a fable. 



THE COLLARED BIRD OF PARADISE. 



The Collared Bird of Paradise (Lophorina superbd) is an extremely rare species, inhabiting 

 Northern New Guinea. It is distinguished by the long feathers by which the upper part of its back 

 and the nape of its neck are surmounted, the latter even extending over the breast, and thus forming a 

 kind of collar ; but there are no elongated feathers upon the sides, and it wants the webless stems 

 found on the tail of some species ; the plumage in general is black, the long feathers upon the breast 

 are of a brilliant metallic green ; the flowing feathers of the shoulder fall like a mantle over the body, 

 and can be raised when the bird is desirous of appearing in all its beauty. 



The Six-feathered Bird of Paradise (Parotia sexpennis) represents a race of extremely 

 beautiful and rare creatures, which, owing to the peculiarities of their plumage, have been classed as a 

 separate tribe under the name of PAROTIA. In these birds the side feathers are much elongated, 

 but not disintegrated, as in the species described above ; the tail is graduated, and none of its feathers 

 are destitute of a web. Upon the head and behind the ear are placed six long shafts, from which the 

 members of this group have derived their name, each terminating in a feathery web. The plumage is 

 of a deep black, except upon the breast, which is golden green. 



The gorgeously attired EPIMACHI resemble the Birds of Paradise in the peculiar elongation of 

 the side and tail feathers and in the construction of their feet ; the beak alone differs in its formation, 

 being long, thin, and delicately curved. 



THE RESPLENDENT EPIMACHUS. 

 The Resplendent Epimachus {Seleucides resplendens, or Seleuddes alba) is recognisable by the 

 tufts upon the breast, formed of large, rounded, and brightly bordered feathers, and by die graceful 

 plumes that adorn its sides ; these latter are downy in their upper portions, and terminate in very long 

 and webless shafts. According to Rosenberg, this extraordinary bird is about thirty-two and a half 

 inches in length. The velvet-like feathers of the head, neck, and breast are black, but gleam with a 

 deep green or violet shade ; the tufts upon the sides of the breast are also black and edged with 

 dazzling emerald green ; the plumes upon the sides are of a splendid golden yellow, but soon lose their 

 brilliancy after death, changing to a dirty white ; the wings and tail are glossy violet, and appear in 

 some lights to be marked with stripes. The plumes for which this species is so celebrated are most 

 remarkable ; the longest of them reach to the tail, and there terminate in long, horsehair-like threads 

 of a bright yellow towards their root, and for the rest of their length of a brown colour. The eyes 

 are scarlet, the beak black, and the feet of a yellowish flesh tint. In the female the top of the head 

 and lower part of the throat are black, the velvety feathers upon the head shining with a bright 

 purple lustre ; the lower part of the back, the wings, and tail are reddish brown, the large quills 

 being black upon their inner web ; the whole of the lower parts of the body are greyish white or 

 a dirty yellowish brown, marked with small undulating black streaks. The young males at first 



