ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1355 



NEW BIRDS OF PARADISE. 



CONSIDERING the present scarcity of 

 birds in the market, and the difficulties of 

 transatlantic travel, it seems rather re- 

 markable that among the few birds which have 

 come to us direct from England since the begin- 

 ning of the war, are three pairs of birds of 

 paradise. 



On July 1, 1915, Mr. G. Tyrwhitt-Drake ar- 

 rived with a varied consignment of mammals 

 and birds, which included two immature greater 

 birds of paradise {Faradisea apoda). With the 

 possible exception of difference in size, there 

 does not seem to be any suitable index for de- 

 termining the sexes of young birds. As the 

 first striking male characteristics to appear are 

 the yellow head and green throat, which are 

 acquired at the third annual molt, we can only 

 wait until these develop before we shall know 

 whether or not there are to be plumes. For 

 the present, our young birds are healthy and 

 active, and get on together fairly well, which 

 is unusual for the larger birds of paradise. 



Credit is due Mr. F. Weinberg for his skill 

 in handling the two other pairs. After taking 

 charge of them in London, he carried them 

 through the perils of the war zone to Amster- 

 dam, thence to Berlin, and finally back to Hol- 

 land, where he took ship for New York. Dur- 

 ing all of his journey of about two months we 

 were unable to get any word concerning the 

 birds. We had begun to give up all hope of 

 their arrival, so were doubly pleased when they 

 finally appeared, on December 27, 1915, in the 

 best possible condition. 



Two species are represented: the red bird 

 of paradise (^Uranornis ruhra^, and the Wilson 

 {Schlegelia wilsoni). Both are natives of the 

 island of Waigiou, near New Guinea, and so 

 far as we know neither has ever before reached 

 this country alive. The red bird of paradise is 

 slightly smaller than the greater, but is consid- 

 erably more brilliant. Like the latter species, 

 the male is chestnut brown in general, but the 

 neck, chest, back and smaller wing coverts are 

 golden yellow. The face and throat are metal- 

 lic green, the feathers being raised in a curious 

 little tuft over each eye. The two central tail 

 feathers are modified into flat, horny structures, 

 which reach a length of twenty inches or more. 

 But the paramount beauty of the bird lies in 

 the side plumes, which are deep red, with frost- 

 ed tips. It seems that five years are required 

 for the assumption of full plumage by the male. 

 Our specimen now possesses the tail "wires," 



which appear the year before the plumes de- 

 velop, and we hope that these wonderful struc- 

 tures will be acquired during the molt through 

 which the bird is now passing. 



The Wilson bird of paradise is a tiny species, 

 not more than six inches in length. It is, how- 

 ever, exceedingly brilliant, and of a type en- 

 tirely different from the preceding forms. Both 

 sexes have the head bare and bright blue in 

 color, curiously divided with narrow lines of 

 black feathers. The tarsi also are blue and the 

 lining of the rather wide mouth is greenish 

 yellow. 



In the male, there is on the nape, a shield 

 of bright yellow, followed by red, the latter 

 extending to the wing coverts and back. The 

 feathers of the chest are produced to form a 

 long semi-circular ruff, of iridescent green. 

 When the bird is displaying, the yellow shield 

 and green ruff" are expanded and erected, so 

 that they fall in the same perpendicular plane, 

 producing, with the blue head, a striking color 

 effect. Each middle tail feather, after crossing 

 its fellow, describes an almost perfect circle, 

 about one inch in diameter. 



The female is mostly plain brownish, with a 

 faint touch of crimson on the wings and upper 

 tail coverts. 



Wilson's bird of paradise is reputed to be 

 very delicate in captivity, but as the species is 

 new to aviculture, there remains much to be 

 learned concerning it. 



L. S. C. 



CALENDAR OF EVENTS. 



Board of Managers' Election. — At a meeting 

 of the Executive Committee on Thursday, April 

 13, 1916, Mr. E. C. Converse was elected a 

 member of the Board of Managers of the So- 

 ciety, Class of 1918, to take the place of the 

 late Samuel Thorne. 



Removal of General Offices. — On May 1, 

 1916, the general offices of the Society were re- 

 moved from 11 Wall Street to 1 1 1 Broadway. 

 Telephone, 2710 Rector, as heretofore. 



Parle Garden Party. — It has been decided by 

 the Executive Committee to postpone the date 

 of the Annual Garden Party at the Park, from 

 the second to the third Thursday, May 18, 

 1916, and to give the same under tlie auspices 

 of tlie Board of Managers. Formal invitations 

 will be mailed to the members of the Society 

 about May 1. 



