PARADISEA SANGUINEA, Shaw, 
Red Bird of Paradise. 
Paradisea sanguinea, Shaw, Gen. Zool. (1809), vol. vii. pt. 1, p. 487, pi. 59. 
Paradisea rubra, Vieill. Gal. Ois. (1825), vol. i. p. 152, pi. 99. — Wall. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1862), p. 160. — Id. 
Ibis (1859), p. Ill (1861), p. 287.— Malay Archip. vol. ii. pp. 214, 221, 243. 
Red Bird of Paradise, Lath. Gen. Hist, of Birds (1822), vol. iii. p. 186, sp. 4. 
L’ Oiseau de Paradis Rouge, Levaill. Hist. Nat. des Ois. Parad. (1806), vol. i. pi. 6. 
Le Paradis Rouge, Vieill. Ois. dor. (1802), vol. ii. p. 14, pi. 3. 
Paradisea sanguinea, Elliot, Mon. ParadiseidcE, pi. 5. 
As I am unable to add any thing concerning the history of Paradisea sunguuiea to what has been said 
so well both by Mr. Wallace and also by Mr. Elliot, in his ‘ Monograj)h of the Paradiseidee,’ I take the 
liberty of copying the remarks of the latter, who says : — 
“This beautiful bird, remarkable for the rich red plumes that spring from its sides and afford so con- 
spicuous a decoration, is found upon the island of Waigiou and the neighbouring ones of Ghemien and 
Batanta, The list of synonyms given above wall serve to show that for a long time it has been known to, 
and quoted by, many authors ; yet w'e were practically ignorant of its nature and mode of life until Mr. 
Wallace visited one of the islands where it has its home, and published his account of it in the work to 
which I have so often had occasion to allude. I vvill let Mr. Wallace tell his story in his own words re- 
garding the capture of this beautiful species. 
“ ‘ When I first arrived I was surprised at being told that there were no Paradise-birds at Muka, although 
there were plenty at Bessir, a place where the natives caught them ai}d prej)ared the skins. I assured the 
people I had heard the cry of these birds close to the village ; but they would not believe that I could know 
their cry. How^ever, the very first time I went into the forest I not only heard but saw them, and was 
convinced there were plenty about; but they were very shy, and it was some time before we got any. My 
hunter first shot a female ; and I one day got very close to a fine male. He was, as I expected, the rare 
red species, Paradisea rubra, which alone inhabits this island and is found nowhere else. He was quite low 
down, running along a bough searching for insects, almost like a M^oodj)ecker ; and the long black riband- 
like filaments in his tail hung dowai in the most graceful double curve imaginable. I covered him with my 
gun, and was going to use the barrel, w hich bad a very small charge of powder and No. 8 shot, so as not 
to injure his plumage; but the gun missed fire, and he was off in an instant among the thickest jungle. 
Another day we saw no less than eight fine males at different times, and fired four times at them ; but 
though other birds at tbe same distance almost always dropped, these all got away, and I began to think 
we were never to get this magnificent species. At length the fruit ripened on the fig-tree close to my 
house, and many birds came to feed on it; and one morning, as I was taking my coffee, a male Paradise- 
bird was seen to settle on its top. I seized my gun, ran under tbe tree, and, gazing up, could see it flying 
across from branch to branch, seizing a fruit here and another there ; and then, before I could get a 
sufficient aim to shoot at such a height (for it was one of the loftiest trees of the troj)ics), it was away 
into the forest. They now visited the tree every morning ; but they stayed so short a time, their motions 
were so rapid, and it was so difficult to see them, owdng to the lower trees which Impeded the view, that it 
was only after several days’ watching, and one or two misses, that 1 brought dowm my bird — a male in tbe 
most magnificent plumage I had only shot two Paradiseas on my tree when they ceased visiting 
it, either owing to the fruit becoming scarce, or that they were wise enough to know there was danger. 
We continued to hear and see them in the forest, but after a month had not succeeded in shooting any 
more ; and as my chief object in visiting Waigiou was to get these birds, I determined to go to Bessir, 
where there are a number of Papuans who catch and preserve them. I hired a small outrigger boat for 
this journey, and left one of my men to guard my bouse and goods My first business was to 
send for tbe men who were accustomed to catch the Birds of Paradise. Several came ; and I showed them 
my hatchets, beads, knives, and handkercbiefs, and explained to them as well as I could by signs the price I 
would give for fresh-killed specimens. It is the universal custom to pay for every thing in advance ; but only 
one man ventured to take goods to the value of two birds. Pbe rest w'ere suspicious, and w’anted to see the 
result of the first bargain with the strange white man, tbe only one who bad ever come to their island. 
After three days my man brought me the first bird — a very fine specimen, and alive, but tied up in a small 
