CICINNURUS REGIUS. 
V mil. 
KING BIRD OF PARADISE. 
The King Bird of Paradise. — Edw., Birds, Vol. III. pi. 3 (1750). 
Paradisea regia. — Linn., Syst. Nat. (1766), Vol. I. p. 166. — Gmel., Syst. Nat., Vol. I. pt. 1, pi. 400. — Lath., Ind. Ornith., 
Vol. II. (1790), p, 194. — Shaw, Gen. Zook, Vol. VII. pt. 2 (1809), p. 497, pi. 67. — -Less., Voy. Coquille 
(1826), pi. 26 (text), Vol. I. p. 688. — Cuv., Reg. Anim. (1829), Vol. I. p. 427. — Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1858), 
p. 1 8 1, sp. 74 (1861), p. 436. — Id ., Fland-List of Birds, pt. 2 (1870), p. 16. — Wall., Proc. Zool. Soc. (1862), 
p. 160. — Id., Ibis (1859), p. 111. — Gray, Gen. of Birds, Vol. II. p. 23, sp. 5. — Wall., Malay Archip., Vol. II. 
pp. 13 1, 248. — Schleg., Journ. fur Ornith. (1861), p. 385. 
Le Manucode. — Buff., Plan. Enlum. (1774), p. 192, t. 496. — Briss., Hist, des Ois., Vol. III. (1775), p. 163, pi. 13. — 
Levaill., Hist. Nat. des Ois. Parad. (1806), Vol. I. pis. 7, 8. — Vieill., Ois., Vol. II. (1802), pi. 5, p. 16. 
Le Petit Oiseau de Paradis. — Briss., Ornith., Vol. II. p. 136, pi. 13 (1760). 
Le Roi des Oiseanx de Paradis. — Sonnerat, Voy. Nouv. Guinee (1776), Vol. I. p. 156, pi. 95. 
King Paradise Bird. — Lath., Gen. Syn., Vol. II. (1782), p. 475. — Ld., Gen. Hist. Birds, Vol. III. (1822), p. 1 88, sp. 5. 
Cicinnurus spintumix. — Less., Ois. Parad. (1835), Syn., p. 14, sp. 6. — Id., Hist. Nat., p. 182, pis. 16, 17, 18. 
Cicinnurus regius. — Vieill., Gal. des. Ois., Vol. I. (1825), p. 146.' — Less., Traite d’Orn. (1831), p. 338. — Wall., Ibis 
(1861), p. 287. — Shaw, Gen. Zool. (1826), Vol. XIV. p. 77. — Elliot, Mon. Parad. (1873), pi. 15. — Salvad. 
and D’ Albert, Ann. Mus, Cir. Genoa (1875), P- 832. — Gould, Birds of New Guinea, pt. 3, pi. 9. 
Cicinnurus regia. — Bonap., Consp. Gen. Av. (1851), p. 413, sp. 1. — Gray, List. Gen. Bds. (1855), p. 65. 
Hab. — New Guinea, Amu Islands. 
r I M IIS lovely little species has been well known to naturalists for many years, yet very little is known regarding its 
economy and habits. Although unsurpassed in brilliancy of plumage by any of its family, it is hardly entitled 
to the name of “ regius ,” which has come down to us from the older authors. “ Spinturnix I as it was called by Lesson, 
would have been much more applicable, as it can hardly claim the rank of king, when compared with such species as 
Epimachus speciosus or Astrapia nigra. 
Mir. Wallace met with this species in the Aru Islands. He writes : “ The first two or three days of our stay here were 
very wet, and I obtained but few insects or birds ; but at length, when I was beginning to despair, my boy, Baderoon, 
returned one day with a specimen which repaid me for months of delay and expectation. It was a small bird, — a little less 
than the Thrush. Merely in arrangement of colors and texture of plumage, this little bird was a gem of the first water; 
yet these comprised only half its strange beauty. Springing from each side of the breast, and ordinarily lying concealed 
under the wings, were little tufts of grayish feathers about two inches long, and each terminated by a broad band of Intense 
emerald green. These plumes can be raised at the will of the bird, and spread out into a pair of elegant fans when 
the wings are elevated. But this is not the only ornament. The two middle feathers of the tail are in the form of slender 
wires, about five inches long, and which diverged in a beautiful curve. About half an inch of the end of this wire is 
webbed on the outer side only, and colored of a fine metallic green; and being curled spirally inwards, they form a pair 
of elegant glittering buttons, hanging five inches below the body, and at the same distance apart. 
These two ornaments — the breast fans and the spiral-toped tail wires — are altogether unique, not occurring on any 
