BIRDS OF PARADISE. 



(PARADISEA PAPUANA.) 



When the first two birds of paradise arrived at the 

 Gardens their plumes were quite short, say about 5 in. long ; 

 the birds having moulted, the new feathers were growing 

 in a thick bunch on each side, below their wings. The 

 birds, however, appeared in good health, and were active 

 and lively. I soon found how fond they were of meal- 

 Avorms and other insects, they fed freely upon fruit, rice, 

 etc. ; a little cooked meat was also acceptable to them. 

 During the voyage they had been supplied with living 

 cockroaches, and a tin containing a number of these 

 insects came to the Gardens with them. Their mode 

 of hopping about from perch to perch and clinging to 

 the bars or wires of the cage, reminded me of a jay or 

 jackdaw. They were fond of a bath, and were very 

 careful in dressing and drying their fine plumes. The 

 new feathers were about two months in arriving at full 

 perfection, and it was a charming sight to see them in 

 full plumage. When they uttered the loud call-notes, the 

 first sounding like " cor-cor-cor-cor," repeated Tsith great 

 rapidity and generally followed by " whark-whark-whark- 

 whook-whook," and terminating with a low guttural sound 

 pronounced with great energy, I was struck with wonder. 

 During this vocal display the bird would bend the body 

 forward, and straining the wings wide open raise them 

 upwards, frequently over the head ; at the same time it 



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