The two broad middle tail feathers are opalescent
green-blue with a velvety surface, and the top of the head is
covered with feathers resembling scales of burnished steel. A
large triangular space covering the chin, throat, and breast, is
densely scaled with feathers, having a steel-blue or green
lustre, and a silky feel. This is edged below with a narrow band
of black, followed by shiny bronzy green, below which the body is
covered with hairy feathers of a rich claret colour, deepening to
black at the tail. The tufts of side plumes somewhat resemble
those of the true Birds of Paradise, but are scanty, about as
long as the tail, and of a black colour. The sides of the head
are rich violet, and velvety feathers extend on each side of the
beak over the nostrils.
I obtained at Dorey a young male of this bird, in a state of
plumage which is no doubt that of the adult female, as is the
case in all the allied species. The upper surface, wings, and
tail are rich reddish brown, while the under surface is of a pale
ashy colour, closely barred throughout with narrow wavy black
bands. There is also a pale banded stripe over the eye, and a
long dusky stripe from the gape down each side of the neck. This
bird is fourteen inches long, whereas the native skins of the
adult male are only about ten inches, owing to the way in which
the tail is pushed in, so as to give as much prominence as
possible to the ornamental plumage of the breast.
At Cape York, in North Australia, there is a closely allied
species, Ptiloris alberti, the female of which is very similar to
the young male bird here described. The beautiful Rifle Birds of
Australia, which much resemble those Paradise Birds, are named
Ptiloris paradiseus and Ptiloris victories, The Scale-breasted
Paradise Bird seems to be confined to the mainland of New Guinea,
and is less rare than several of the other species.
There are three other New Guinea birds which are by some authors
classed with the Birds of Paradise, and which, being almost
equally remarkable for splendid plumage, deserve to be noticed
here. The first is the Paradise pie (Astrapia nigra of Lesson), a
bird of the size of Paradises rubra, but with a very long tail,
glossed above with intense violet. The back is bronzy black, the
lower parts green, the throat and neck bordered with loose broad
feathers of an intense coppery hue, while on the top of the head
and neck they are glittering emerald green, All the plumage round
the head is lengthened and erectile, and when spread out by the
living bird must lave an effect hardly surpassed by any of the
true Paradise birds. The bill is black and the feet yellow. The
Astrapia seems to me to be somewhat intermediate between the
Paradiseidae and Epimachidae.
There is an allied species, having a bare carunculated head,
which has been called Paradigalla carunculata. It is believed to
inhabit, with the preceding, the mountainous, interior of New
Guinea, but is exceedingly rare, the only known specimen being in
the Philadelphia Museum.
The Paradise Oriole is another beautiful bird, which is now
sometimes classed with the Birds of Paradise. It has been named
Paradises aurea and Oriolus aureus by the old naturalists, and is
now generally placed in the same genus as the Regent Bird of
Australia (Sericulus chrysocephalus). But the form of the bill
and the character of the plumage seem to me to be so different
that it will have to form a distinct genus. This bird is almost
entirely yellow, with the exception of the throat, the tail, and
part of the wings and back, which are black; but it is chiefly
characterised by a quantity of long feathers of an intense glossy
orange colour, which cover its neck down to the middle of the
back, almost like the hackles of a game-cock.
This beautiful bird inhabits the mainland of New Guinea, and is
also found in Salwatty, but is so rare that I was only able to
obtain one imperfect native skin, and nothing whatever is known
of its habits.
I will now give a list of all the Birds of Paradise yet known,
with the places they are believed to inhabit.
1. Paradisea apoda (The Great Paradise Bird). Aru Islands.
2. Paradisea papuana (The Lesser Paradise Bird). New Guinea,
Mysol, Jobie.
3. Paradisea rubra (The Red Paradise Bird). Waigiou,
4. Cicinnurus regius (The King Paradise Bird). New Guinea, Aru
Islands, Mysol, Salwatty.
5. Diphyllodes speciosa (The Magnificent). New Guinea, Mysol,
Salwatty.
6. Diphyllodes wilsoni (The Red Magnificent). Waigiou.
7. Lophorina atra (The Superb). New Guinea.
8. Parotia sexpennis (The Golden Paradise Bird). New Guinea.
9. Semioptera wallacei (The Standard Wing). Batchian, Gilolo.
10. Epimachus magnus (The Long-tailed Paradise Bird). New Guinea
11. Seleucides albs (The Twelve-wired Paradise Bird).New Guinea,
Salwatty.
12. Ptiloris magnifica (The Scale-breasted Paradise Bird). New
Guinea.
13. Ptiloris alberti (Prince Albert's Paradise Bird). North
Australia.
14. Ptiloris Paradisea (The Rifle Bird). East Australia.
15. Ptiloris victoriae (The Victorian Rifle Bird). North-East
Australia.
16. Astrapia nigra (The Paradise Pie). New Guinea.
17. Paradigalla carunculata (The Carunculated Paradise Pie). New
Guinea.
I8. (?) Sericulus aureus (The Paradise Oriole). New Guinea,
Salwatty.
We see, therefore, that of the eighteen species which seem to
deserve a place among the Birds of Paradise, eleven are known to
inhabit the great island of New Guinea, eight of which are
entirely confined to it and the hardly separated island of
Salwatty.
