THE BIRDS OF FARADISE 
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Wallace’s standard wing, male and female. 
icate ashy-violet with a metallic gloss on the 
crown of the head. The feathers, which cover 
the nostrils and extend half-way down the beak, 
are loose and curved upward. Beneath it is 
much moi'e heautifid. The scale-like feathers 
of the breast are margined with rich metallic 
blue-green, which color entirely covers the 
throat and sides of the neck, as well as the long 
pointed plumes which sju'ing from the sides of 
the breast, and extend nearly as far as the end 
of the wings. The most curious feature of the 
bird, however, and one altogether unique in the 
whole class, is found in the pair of long narrow 
delicate feathers which spring from each wing | 
close to the bend. On lifting the wing coverts 
they are seen to arise from two tubular horny 
sheaths, which diverge from near the point of 
junction of the carpal bones. They are erectile. 
and when the bird is excited are spread out at 
right.angles to the wing and slightly divergent. 
They are from six to six and a half inches long, 
the upper one slightly exceeding the lower. 
The total length of the bird is eleven inches. 
The bill is horny-olive, the iris deep olive, and 
the feet bright orange. 
The female bird is remarkably jdain, being 
entirely of a. dull ])ale earthy-brown, witlr only 
a slight tinge of ashy-violet on the head to 
relieve its general monotony; and the young 
males exactly resemble her. 
This bird frequents the lower trees of the 
forests, and, like, most Paradise-Birds, is in 
constant motion—flying from branch to branch, 
clinging to the twigs and even to the smooth 
and vertical trunks almost as easily as a wood¬ 
pecker. It continually utters a harsh, creaking 
o 
