CH. xxxviiiO THE FdiUniSE ORIOLE. SdH 



There are three other Kew Guinea birds which are by 

 some authors classed with the Bii-da of Paradise, and 

 whichf being almost etj^uiilly remarkable for sidiiiidid 

 plumage, desei-ve to be noticed here. The first is the 

 Taradise pie (Astm|>ia nigi-a of Lesson), a bird of the 

 size of Paradisea rubra, but with a verj* long tail, glossed 

 above with int-ense violet. The back is bronzy black, 

 the lower parts green, the throat and neck bordered witli 

 looee broad feathGi-s of an mtense coppery hue, while on 

 the top of the head and neck they are gUttering emerald 

 green. All the plumage round the head is lengthened 

 and erectde, and when spread out by the living bird must 

 have an effect hardly surpasi^ed by any of the true Paradise 

 Biid& The bill is black and the feet yeUow. The Astrapia 

 seems to me to be somewhat intermediate between the 

 ParadiseidfiB and Epimachidaj. 



There is an allied species, having a bare carunculated 

 head, which has been called Parudigalla caruncnlata. It 

 is believed inhabit, with the preceding, the mountainous 

 interior of New Guinea, but is exceeihugly rare, the only 

 known specimen being in the I'hiladelphia Museum, 



The Paradise Oriole is another beautiful bird, wliich is 

 now sometimes classed with the Birds of I*aradise. It has 

 been named Paradisea aurea and Oriolus aureus by the old 

 naturalists, and is now generally placed in the same genus 

 as the Regent Bird of Australia (Sericulus chiysoeephaJus). 

 But the form of the bill and the ehamcter of the plumage 

 seem to me to be so different that it will have to form 

 a distinct genus. This bird is almost entirely yellow, 

 with the exception of the throat, the tail, and part of the 

 \vings and back, which are black ; but it is clnetly charac- 

 terised by a quantity of long feathers of an inteuse glossy 

 orange colour, which cover its neck down to the middle of 

 the back, almost like the hackles of a game-cock. 



This beautiful bird inhabits the mainland of New 

 fruinea, and is also found in Salwatty, but is so rare that 1 

 was only able to obUdn one imperfect native skm, and 

 nothiti«^ whatever is knowm of its habits. 



I wull now give a list of all the 13irds of Paradise yet 

 known, with the places tliey ai'e believed to iulmbil. 



