PARADISEA SANGUINEA. Shaw. 
RED BIRD OF PARADISE. 
Paradisea sanguinea. — Shaw, Gen. Zoo], (1S09), Vol. VII., pt. 1, pi. 59, p. 4S7. — Elliot, Mon. Parad., pi. 5 (1873). — 
Gould, Bds. New Guinea, pt. 4 (1S77). 
Paradisea rzibi'a. — Vieill., Gal. Ois. (1825), Vol. I., p. 152, pi. 99. — Wall., Proc. Zool Soc. (1862), p. 160. — Id., Ibis 
(1859), p. 111; (1861), p. 287. — Malay Arch,, Vol. II., pp. 214, 221, 243. 
Red Bird of Paradise. — Lath., Gen, Hist, of Birds (1822), Vol. IIP, p. 186. 
LOiseau de Paradis Rouge. — LevailL, Hist. Nat. des Ois. Parad., Vol. I., pi. 6 (1806). 
Le Paradis Rouge. — Vieill., Ois. d'Or., Vol. IP, pi. 14, pi. 3 (1802). 
Habitat. — Waigiou, Ghemien, and Batana. 
A r ERY little is known regarding this beautiful species, although specimens are not uncommon in collections, and I must 
again quote Mr. Wallace, who has done so much to make us acquainted with birds of this family, in regard to its 
capture. He says: “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 and prepared 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. However, 
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. Pie was, as I expected, the rare red species, Paradisea rubra , which alone inhabits this island and is found 
nowhere else. He was quite low dowm, running along a bough, searching for insects, almost like a Woodpecker; and the 
long black ribanddike filaments in his tail hung down in the most graceful double curve imaginable. I covered him with 
rtiy gun, and was going to use the barrel which had 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 the 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 the 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 tropics), 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, owing to the 
lower trees which impeded the view, that it was only after several days’ watching, and one or two misses, that I brought 
down my bird, — a male in the 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 house 
and goods. . . . My first business was to send for the men who were accustomed to catch the Birds of Paradise. Several 
came, and I showed them my hatchets, beads, knives, and handkerchiefs, 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 everything in advance, but only one 
man ventured to take goods to the value of two birds. The rest were suspicious, and wanted to see the result of the first 
bargain with the strange white man, the only one who had 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 bag, and consequently its tail and wing feathers 
were very much crushed and injured. I tried to explain to him, and to others that came with him, that I wanted them as 
