PAR ADI SEA APODA. Linn. 
THE GREATER BIRD OF PARADISE. 
The Greater Bird of Paradise. — Edwards, Bds., III., pi. i io. 
LOiseau de Paradis. — Brisson, Orn., II., pi. 13, p. 130. 
Paradisea apoda. — Linn, Syst. Nat., I., p. 166 ; Wagler, Syst. Avis Paradisea, sp. 1 ; Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., I., p. 412; 
Gray, P. Z. S. (i86r), p.436; Wallace, Ibis (1859), p. 1 1 1 (1861), p. 289; Schleg. Mus. Pa} f s-Bas. 
Coraces, p. 78 ; Wallace, Malay Archip., II., p. 238 ; Gray, Hand-b. Bds., II., p. 16 ; Elliot, Monograph 
Paradisidae, pi. 1 ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genor., IX., p. 19 1 ; Sharpe, Cat. Bds., III., p. 167 ; Gould, 
Bds. New Guinea, pt. IX. 
Paradisea major. — Shaw, Gen. Zool., V II., p. 480, pi. 58 ; Less., Ois, de Parad. Svnop., p. 6 ; Id., Hist. Nat., p, 155, pi. 6. 
Paradisea apoda , var. Wallaciana. — Gray, P. Z. S. (1858), p. 181. 
Habitat. — Arru Islands and S. E. New Guinea. 
lyjR. GOULD, in his “ Birds of New Guinea, gives a condensed history of the present species, quoting from other 
authors. It is so well chosen that I give it entire : “‘When the earliest European voyagers,’ writes Mr. Wallace, m 
his ‘Malay Archipelago, ‘reached the Moluccas in search of cloves and nutmegs, which were then rare and precious spices, 
they were presented with the dried skins of birds so strange and beautiful as to excite the admiration even of those wealth- 
seeking rovers. 1 he Malay traders gave them the name of “ Manukdenater " (or God’s Birds), and the Portuguese, finding 
that they had no feet or wings, and not being able to learn anything authentic about them, called them “ Passaros de Sol ’’ 
(or Birds of the Sun) ; while the learned Dutchmen, who wrote in Latin, called them “ Avis paradiseus ” (or Paradise Bird). 
John van Lmschoten gives these names in 1598, and tells us that no one has seen these birds alive, for they live in the air, 
always turning towards the sun, arid never lighting on the earth till they die ; for they have neither feet nor wings, as, he 
adds, may be seen by the birds carried to India, and sometimes to Holland; but being very costly they are rarely seen in 
Europe. More than one hundred years later Mr. William Funnel, who accompanied Dam pier, and wrote an account of 
the voyage, saw specimens at Amboyna, and was told that they came to Banda to eat nutmegs, which intoxicated them and 
made them fall down senseless, when they were killed by ants. Down to 1760, when Linnams named the largest species 
Paradisea apoda (the Footless Paradise Bird), no perfect specimen had been seen in Europe, and absolutely nothing was 
known about them. And even now, a hundred years later, most books state that they migrate annually to Ternate, Banda, 
and Amboyna, whereas the fact is that they are as completely unknown in these islands in a wild state as they arc in Eng- 
land.’ I may remark that Edwards had probably a complete specimen in 1750, as he mentions the figures in the older 
authors, such as Willoughby, and remarks, ‘As none of these were satisfactory to me, 1 have given this figure and 
description of a perfect bird, which may more than answer the purposes of so many.’ And again, ‘ It hath legs and feet 
of a moderate proportion and strength for its bigness, shaped much like those of Pves or Jays, of a dark brown color, 
armed with claws of middling strength.’ The fact remains, however, that the vast majority of skins received in Europe 
before Mr. Wallace’s expedition were mutilated and footless. He writes, ‘ The native mode of preserving them is to cut 
off the wings and feet, and then skin the body up to the beak, taking out the skulls. A stout stick is then run up through 
the specimen, coming out at the mouth. Round this some leaves are stuffed, and the whole is wrapped up in a palm- 
spathe and dried in the smoky hut. Bv this plan the head, which is really large, is shrunk up almost to nothing, the body 
is much reduced and shortened, and the greatest prominence is given to the flowing plumage. Some of these native skins 
are very clean, and often have wings and feet left on ; others are dreadfully stained with smoke, and all give a most 
erroneous idea of the proportions of the living bird.’ The following notes on the habits are also given by Mr. Wallace: 
‘The Great Bird of Paradise is very active and vigorous, and seems to be in constant motion all day long. It is very 
abundant, small flocks of females and young males being constantly met with'; and though the full-plumaged birds are 
less plentiful, their loud cries, which are heard daily, show that they also are very numerous. Their note is “ Wank- wank- 
