CICINNUItTJS REGIUS. 



known in Europe. The emotions excited in the mind of a naturalist who has long desired to see the actual thing 

 which he has hitherto known only by description, drawing, or badly preserved external covering, especially when 

 that thing is of surpassing rarity and beauty, require the poetic faculty fully to express them. After the first King- 

 bird was obtained, I went with my men into the forest ; and we were not not only rewarded with another in equally 

 perfect plumage, but I was enabled to see a little of the habits of both it and the larger species. It frequents 

 the lower trees of the less dense forests, and is very active, flying strongly with a whirring sound, and constantly 

 hopping or flying from branch to branch. It eats hard stone-bearing fruits as large as a gooseberry, and often 

 flutters its wings after the manner of the South-American Manakins, at which times it elevates and expands 

 the beautiful fans with which its breast is adorned. The natives of Aru call it ' Goby-goby.' It is tolerably 

 plentiful in the Aru Islands, which led to its being brought to Europe at an early period along with Paradisea 

 apoda. It also occurs in the Island of Mysol, and in every part of New Guinea which has been visited by naturalists." 



Lesson says, "we met with the Manucode twice during our hunts, and we killed the male and the female. This 

 species appears to be monogamous, where perhaps it is isolated in pairs at the period of breeding. In the wood 

 this bird has no brilliancy. Its plumage of fiery red does not betray it, and the female has only sombre colours. 

 It loves to keep in the teak trees, whose large leaves shelter it, and the small fruits of which compose its food. 

 The iris is brown, and the feet of a very delicate azure blue. The Papous call it 'say a.'" 



Male. — Head, throat, breast, wings, and entire upper parts brilliant deep fiery red, the texture of the feathers 

 resembling spun glass. Feathers of the forehead extend over the bill for two thirds of its length, concealing the 

 nostrils. Over each eye is a small dark green spot. The colour of the breast is somewhat darker than that 

 of the upper parts, and its lower edge is a light golden red. Beneath the red of the breast is a band of 

 beautiful iridescent green. Springing from each side of this band, beneath the wings, are a number of 

 lengthened feathers, which the bird can spread out like a fan, dark grey in colour, tipped with most brilliant 

 green ; this last divided from the grey of the rest of the feather by a narrow line of buff. Rest of the 

 underparts pure white. Underpart of tail-feathers grey, with purple reflections. Springing from the centre 

 of the tail, near the rump, are two shafts projecting for about four inches beyond the tail, devoid of webs 

 until near their tips, where a brilliant green outer web appears, which is curved round upon itself, forming a 

 glittering button — one of the most extraordinary modes of ornamentation known among the feathered creatures. 

 The bill of this little gem is yellow ; the feet and tarsi blue. 



Female. — Head and entire upper parts dark brown. Outer edges of secondaries reddish. Underparts reddish 

 buff, crossed with broken bars of dark brown, darkest on the sides of the throat. Tail lighter than the back; 

 edges of the feathers olive-brown. Bill light yellow ; tip dark brown. Feet and tarsi bluish. 



Young male. — Upper parts yellowish brown. Secondaries like those of the female, but the edges of outer webs 

 and tips rich orange. Throat buff, striated with dark brown. Entire underparts rich uniform buff; flanks only 

 barred with dark brown. 



