PAROTIA SEXPENNIS. 



SIX-SHAFTED BIRD OF PARADISE. 



PARADISEA SEXPENNIS, Bodd. Tab. Plan. Enlum. (1783). 

 PARADISEA PENICILLATA, Scop. Flor. et Faun. Insub. (1786) p. 88. 



MANUCODE A SIX FILETS, Buff. Plan. Enlum. vol. iii. (1774) p. 198, t. 633.— Briss. Hist, des Ois. (1778) vol. iii. p. 171. 

 L'OISEAU DE PARADIS A GORGE DO REE, Sonn. Voy. Nouv. Guin. (1776) p. 158, pi. 97. 



GOLDEN-BREASTED BIRD OF PARADISE, Lath. Gen. Syn. (1782) p. 481, vol. ii. — Id. Gen. Hist. Birds (1822), vol. iii. p. 194. sp. 12, 

 pi. xlvii. 



PARADISEA AUREA, Gmel. Syst. Nat. (1788) vol. i. pt. i. p. 402. sp. 7.— Bechst. Kurze Uebers. (1811) p. 133. sp. 11. 



PARADISEA SEXSETACEA, Lath. Ind. Orn. (1790) vol. ii. p. 194. sp. 9.— Shaw, Gen. Zool. (1809) vol. vii. pt. 2, p. 496, pi. 66.— Wagl. Syst. 



Av. (1827) sp. 6— Less. Traite d'Ornith. (1831) t. i. p. 337— Cuv. Regn. Anim. (1829) t. i. p. 427— Vieill. Encycl. Meth. (1823) t. iii. 

 p. 909, pi. cxliv. fig. 1. 



LE SIFILET, Levaill. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Parad. vol. i. (1806) pis. 12 & 13.— Vieill. Ois. dor. (1802) vol. ii. p. 18, pi. 6— Id. Analyse (1816), 

 p. 33. 



PAROTIA SEXSETACEA, Vieill. Gal. Ois. vol. i. (1825) p. 148, pi. xcvii.— Less. Trait. Ornith. (1831) p. 337.— Wall. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1862) 

 p. 160.— Von Rosenb. Jour, fur Ornith. (1864) p. 131— Less. Ois. Parad. (1835) Syn. p. 10. sp. 4 ; Hist. Nat. p. 172, pis. 10, 11, 

 11 bis, 12. 



PARADISEA AUREA, Bon. Consp, Gen. Av. (1850) p. 414. 



PAROTIA AUREA, G. R. Gray, List Gen. Birds (1855), p. 65.— Wall. Ibis (1861), p. 287. 



PARADISEA SEXPENNIS, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1861) p. 436.— Schleg. Journ. fur Ornith. (1861) p. 385— Id. Tijdsch. Dierk. pt. v. p. 50. 

 PAROTIA SEXPENNIS, Wall. Malay Archip. vol. ii. p. 250. 



Hab. New Guinea. 



Among the wonderful forms to be seen in the Family of the Paradiseidse this species must be considered as 

 occupying a prominent place. As if nature had exerted herself to produce something totally different from 

 any thing she had before attempted, she decorates this beautiful creature, not only with plumage of the most 

 velvety texture, with a metallic shield upon its breast, and greatly lengthened side-plumes, but causes to spring 

 from each side of the occiput three long wiry shafts, bearing small purplish-black spatules, a mode of adorn- 

 ment unknown elsewhere among the various tribes of feathered creatures. 



The Six-shafted Bird of Paradise was first figured by Buffon in 1774, from a much mutilated specimen. The 

 adult male has never yet been procured with all its members intact ; an example which is as nearly perfect as 

 any I have ever seen, wanting only the feet, is in my own collection. Although so long known to naturalists, 

 no information regarding its economy or habits has ever been obtained by any of the adventurous travellers who 

 have endeavoured to explore the difficult country it inhabits. During M. von Rosenberg's expedition into the 

 interior of New Guinea, he obtained females of this species, which were widely different from the male in 

 plumage, as a glance at the accompanying plate will show, and also remarkable for a tuft of feathers springing 

 from each side of the head. I am indebted to the kindness of Prof. Schlegel for the loan of a very fine 

 female of this species, procured by M. von Rosenberg, to be figured for this work. 



Male. — General colour velvety black, but in certain lights possessing most beautiful and brilliant violet and purple 

 reflections. Feathers of the forehead extending forward and covering nearly two thirds of the bill, the terminal 

 portion tipped with silvery white. Back of head crested, containing in the centre a line of metallic feathers 

 flashing out the most brilliant green conceivable, impossible to describe or represent. From each side of the head, 

 behind the ear-coverts, spring the webless shafts, that extend for about five inches, bearing at their tips a spatule 

 of the same velvety texture and colour as the body of the bird. The upper part of the breast is covered with a 

 broad metallic shield, varying in different lights from gold to coppery bronze and pale greenish-blue, the centre of 



