52 



BIRDS OF PARADISE 



LABRADOR DUCKS, NOW EXTINCT 



From the Group in the American Museum 



The widely different plumages (varying with age, sex, season, or alT 

 three) often worn by one species will be found illustrated in the 

 General Ptarmigan case and in the case containing Orchard Orioles, 



Topics Snow Buntings, Scarlet Tanagers and Bobolinks. The 



relationship between structure and habits, the many forms of bill, feet, 

 wings, tail, etc., and the different ways of using them are illustrated in 

 other cases, particularly by one showing the feeding habits of some birds. 

 Other cases show instances of albinism, hybridism and other abnor- 

 malities; the excessive individual variation in a bird called the Ruff; 

 birds of pre}' used by man in hunting; a few domesticated birds (an ex- 

 tensive collection of which will be found in Darwin Hall) ; the growth of 

 the embryo and the structure of the adult bird ; Archreopteryx, the oldest 

 fossil bird; and a map-exhibit of migration. 



In the alcoves to the right the first egg case contains the Synoptic 

 Collection of Eggs, which shows the variation in the number in a set, 

 size, shell-texture, markings, shape, etc., and tells some- 

 thing of the laws governing these things. The succeeding 

 cases contain the general exhibition collection of nests and eggs, princi- 

 pally those of North American and of European birds. 



Near the center of the hall is a nearly complete collection of. the Birds 

 of Paradise, presented by Mrs. Frank K. Sturgis. This family of birds 

 Birds of is confined to New Guinea, Australia and some neighbor- 



Paradise ing islands. Their feet and bills show their close relation- 



ship to the Crows and Jays, which they resemble in nesting habits 

 as well. Their chief characteristic is of course their gorgeous plumes, 

 wonderful as well in variety of form and position as in beauty. For 

 these plumes the birds arc still being killed in such large numbers 



