334 PERCHING BIRDS. 
The Gorget Bird This species {Astrapia nigra), from the mountains of Central 
of Paradise. New Guinea, is the sole representative of its genus, and brings us to 
the short-beaked or typical group of the family. Having a long and graduated 
tail, of which the central plumes are not elongated into wire-like shafts, it is 
especially distinguished by the thick feathering of the lores and angle of the 
mouth, by the presence of an erect frill surrounding the head, and another frill 
of a golden coppery tint round the throat. In the adult male the general 
colour of the upper-parts is velvety black, with a purplish gloss; the two long 
central tail-feathers are glossed with purple; the frill round the head is golden- 
green ; while the feathers of the throat are steely black, with the above-mentioned 
gorget of brilliant copper; a ruff of black plumes springs from the shield on the 
neck; the flanks are dusky black, and the under-parts velvety grass-green, 
wattled Bird An allied genus is represented by the wattled paradise-bird 
of Paradise. (Ravadigalla carunculata ) of New Guinea, distinguished by the lores 
having an erect orange-yellow wattle, while another of azure blue hangs from each 
angle of the mouth; the tail being shorter than the body, and the head and throat 
devoid of frills. 
Typical Birds of The great bird of paradise (Paradisea apoda), which was the 
Paradise. first known representative of the entire family, derives its specific 
name from having been described by Linnaeus from a skin prepared in the Papuan 
fashion, with the wings 
and feet cut off. The 
genus, which is repre¬ 
sented by several species 
from Papua and the 
Aru and other islands, 
is characterised by the 
production of the cen¬ 
tral pair of tail-feathers 
into extremely long, 
horny, wire-like shafts, 
the absence of a shield 
on the back, and the 
elongation of the flank- 
plumes into two huge 
bunches of feathers 
reaching far beyond the 
tail. The great bird of 
paradise, of the Aru 
Islands, is the largest 
representative of the genus, measuring from 1-5 to 18 inches in total length, and is 
described by Mr. Wallace, as follows:—“ The body, wings, and tail are of a rich 
coffee-brown, which deepens on the breast to a blackish violet or purple-brown. 
The whole of the top of the head and neck is of an exceedingly delicate straw- 
yellow, the feathers being short and close set, so as to resemble plush or velvet; 
the lower part of the throat up to the eye is clothed with scaly feathers of an 
GREAT BIRD OF PARADISE. 
