XIII 
THE COLOURS OF BIRDS 
279 
forming the basis of coloration. In the nearly related 
rifle-birds, on the other hand, the pigmental colours 
have disappeared, and the great predominance of the 
melanins is associated with the development of the 
most gorgeous metallic colour, set off by the velvety 
blackness of other feathers ; a similar type of colora¬ 
tion occurs in the genera PciYoticL and Astvtxpicc among 
the true birds of Paradise ; in these the speckled 
plumage of the female is very noticeable. As usual 
throughout the beauty of colouring is largely confined 
to the adult males, the females and young males 
being relatively unadorned. 
The birds of Paradise, as is well known, inhabit 
the Malay Archipelago, and a full description of the 
family, including an account of the native methods 
of obtaining them, will be found in Mr. Wallace’s 
account of his travels in that region. 
The great bird of Paradise, called PavcidisBci 
apoda by Linnaeus, who described it from a specimen 
preserved after the native method, and therefore 
without its feet, may be chosen as an example of 
one of the prevalent types of coloration. In this 
bird the quill-feathers of tail and wing, and the 
feathers which cover the greater part of the back, are 
a dull brown colour, showing little specialisation of 
colour. In the feathers of the back the barbs are 
devoid of barbules near their apices, but show no 
other specialisation. At the sides of the body are 
the beautiful erectile tufts of feathers, which give the 
bird half its beauty. These consist of long drooping 
feathers, pinkish-white in colour, with a tuft of short 
bright yellow feathers at their base. The elongated 
feathers have much elongated barbules, a structure some- 
