Round This Some Leaves Are Stuffed, And The
Whole Is Wrapped Up In A Palm Spathe And Dried In The
Smoky hut.
By 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 hive a
most erroneous idea of the proportions of the living bird.
The Paradisea apoda, as far as we have any certain knowledge, is
confined to the mainland of the Aru Islands, never being found in
the smaller islands which surround the central mass. It is
certainly not found in any of the parts of New Guinea visited by
the Malay and Bugis traders, nor in any of the other islands
where Birds of Paradise are obtained. But this is by no means
conclusive evidence, for it is only in certain localities that
the natives prepare skins, and in other places the same birds may
be abundant without ever becoming known. It is therefore quite
possible that this species may inhabit the great southern mass of
New Guinea, from which Aru has been separated; while its near
ally, which I shall next describe, is confined to the north-
western peninsula.
The Lesser Bird of Paradise (Paradisea papuana of Bechstein), "Le
petit Emeraude" of French authors, is a much smaller bird than
the preceding, although very similar to it.
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