Birds of Paradise. 71 



deep red, and opening out with the most perfect regularity into 

 broad, waving feathers of airy down ; every filament which ter- 

 minates them distinct, yet waving and curving and closing upon 

 each other with the vibratory motion the bird gives them ; while 

 the two immensely long filaments of the tail hang in graceful curves 

 below." 



After mentioning the manner in which the natives procure 

 this bird by building a small inartificial looking hut in the tree 

 while the birds are absent, and shooting them with arrows 

 when a sufficient number have arrived, by concealing them- 

 selves in the hut, Mr. Wallace continues : — 



" Of the geographical distribution of the Bird of Paradise many 

 erroneous statements have been published. Its supposed migration 

 have by some been extended to Banda, by others to Ceram and all 

 the eastern islands of the Molucca group. These statements are, 

 however, totally without foundation, the species being strictly con- 

 fined to the New Guinea and the Aru Islands, and even to a limited 

 portion of each of those countries. Aru consists of a very large 

 central island, and some hundreds of smaller ones scattered around 

 it at various distances, many being of large size and covered with 

 dense and lofty forests ; yet on not one of these is the Paradisea 

 ever found (although many of them are much nearer New Guinea), 

 being limited, to the large island, and even to the central portions 

 of that island, never appearing on the sea coast, nor in the swampy 

 forests which in many places reach some miles inward. With 

 regard to its distribution in New Guinea, the Macassar traders 

 assured me it was not found there at all ; for, although they ob- 

 tain quantities of ' Burong mati' (the Malay name), from most of 

 the places they visit on the west coast of New Guinea, they are all 

 of another kind, being the Paradisea papuana, a smaller and more 

 delicate, but less brilliantly coloured species. On inquiry I found 

 that they did not trade eastward of Cape Buro (135° E). Lesson, 

 I believe, found the larger species in the southern peninsula of New 

 Guinea, and an intelligent Ceramese trader I met at Aru assured 

 me that, in places he had visited more eastward than the range of 

 the Macassar traders, the same kind was found as at Aru. It is 

 therefore clear that the Paradisea apoda is confined to the southern 

 peninsula of New Guinea and the Aru islands, while the Paradisea 

 papuana inhabits only the northern peninsula, with one or two of 

 the islands (most probably) near its northern extremity." 



The birds now living in perfect health at the Zoological 

 Society's Gardens are two males of Paradisea papuana. Their 

 habits in the aviary remind one very strongly of a jay or 

 jackdaw, being very restless and prying in their disposition, 

 often clinging to the perpendicular parts of their cage wherever 

 there is a hold for their feet, and even hanging suspended 

 under a branch like a titmouse. When on the ground, their 

 mode of progression is by hopping ; and then' call consists of a 



