I had great difficulty, however, in supplying them with inseet food, for in the Peninsular and Oriental 
steamers cockroaches were scarce, and it was only by setting traps in the store-rooms, and by hunting 
every hour of the night in the forecastle, that I could secure a few dozen of these creatures, scarcely 
enough for a single meal. At Malta, where I stayed a fortnight, I got plenty of cockroaches from a 
bakehouse, and when I left took with me several biscuit-tins full, as provision for the voyage home. We 
came through the Mediterranean in March, with a very cold wind ; and the only place on board a inail- 
steamer where their large cage could he accommodated was exposed to a strong current of air down a 
hatchway which stood open day and night, yet the birds never seemed to feel the cold. During the night 
journey from Marseilles to Paris it was a sharp frost, yet they arrived in London in perfect health, and lived 
in the Zoological Gardens for one, and two years, often displaying their brilliant plumes to the admiration of 
the spectators. It is evident, therefore, that the Paradise-birds require air and exercise rather than 
heat ; and I feel sure that if a good-sized conservatory could be devoted to them, or if they could he turned 
loose in the tropical department of the Crystal Palace, or the Great Palm House at Kew, they would live in 
this country for many years.” 
The late Mr. A. D. Bartlett contributed the following note to Mr. Elliot’s monograph : — “ When the 
two Birds of Paradise first arrived at the Gardens, in April 1862, their plumes were quite short, only 
about five inches long. The birds had moulted, and the new feathers were growing in a thick bunch on 
each side below their wings. They appeared in good health, and were active and lively. I soon ascertained 
how fond they were of meal-worms and other insects ; and they fed freely upon fruit, boiled rice, &c. ; 
a little cooked flesh was also acceptable to them. Their mode of hopping about from perch to perch and 
clinging to the bars or wires of the cage reminded one of a Jay or Jackdaw. They were fond of a bath, 
and were very careful in dressing and drying their fine plumes; these were about two months in growing 
to full perfection ; and it was a charming sight to see them when in full plumage. When uttering their 
loud call the body was bent forward, the wings spread open and raised up, frequently over their heads, 
meeting the plumes, which were spread in the most graceful manner, every feather vibrating in a way that 
almost dazzled the sight. During this display the bird would become greatly excited, and sometimes turn 
almost under the perch or branch, the head and neck being bent so low down. At this period we found 
they would not agree, but attacked each other ; and we were therefore obliged to keep them separated 
by a wire division. They hopped about like Jays or Jackdaws, never ran like Starlings or Magpies, and 
when on the ground raised the points of the plumes so that they should not touch the earth. They soon 
became very tame, and would take food from the hand ; and the sight of a meal-worm would bring them 
down from the perch immediately. The moult was extremely rapid, the fine plumes being thrown off in a 
few days ; and these appeared to grow all at the same time in a hunch. It is therefore certain that these 
birds, after they attain the adult plumage, lose it only during the annual moult, like the Peacock and many 
other richly ornamented birds.” 
The following descriptions are taken from my third volume of the ‘ Catalogue of Birds’: — 
Adult male. A narrow frontal band, lores, cheeks, and throat velvety green, slightly metallic, the 
forehead and chin, as well as a spot at the base of the lower mandible, appearing velvety black ; crown 
of head and hind-neck, as well as the sides of the latter, converging towards the lower throat, bright 
golden straw-colour, all the plumes velvety in texture ; mantle and scapulars dull ochraceous straw-colour, 
all the feathers ruddy at the base ; wing-coverts maroon-brown, the least ones washed with ochraceous 
straw-colour, the median and greater series tipped with golden straw-colour, forming a double bar across 
the wing-quills, which are maroon-brown, as also the lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail, the 
two centre tail-feathers produced into two long thread-like shafts about 18 inches in length ; under surface 
of body from the throat downwards to the under tail-coverts maroon-brown ; from the flanks are developed 
two large tufts of plumes, bright yellow for their basal half, white for the terminal half, at the base of 
the flank-tufts a few rigid blood-red plumes ; under wing-coverts and inner lining of quills maroon-brown, 
like the breast: bill leaden grey; feet black. Total length 14-5 inches, culmen L35, wing 7*3, tail 6*2, 
tarsus 2. 
Adult female. Wants the long flank-plumes and the metallic green about the forehead and throat which 
are seen in the male. General colour above, including the wings and tail, maroon-brown ; head, sides 
of face, and throat maroon-brown, darker than the back, the hind-neck and mantle dull ochraceous straw- 
colour, with which also the wing-coverts are washed ; the whole of the under surface, from the throat 
downwards, silky white ; thighs pale maroon-brown, the sides of the breast and flanks also slightly washed 
