BIRD of PARADISE. Papua birds.
Burong Mati, . . . ARM Ave de Pardiso, . Pour. Manuk devata, . . JAI. I Eurong Papua, . TERN. Burong devata, . Ma Lax. Soffu, Sioffu, . . . „ Birds of paradise, the most beautiful of winged creatures, were fabled, in the fancy of an Arabian poet, as visitants from heaven to earth ; and the islanders of the Archipelago are said to believe that, when old, and feeling the approach of death, the paradise birds fly upward towards the sun, but, having spent their strength in the inferior world, fail to reach again their celestial home, fall and die as they descend (see Camoens' Lusiad, Book x.). No representation can exaggerate their beauty, or excel the lustre of their plumage. They were supposed footless, and incapable of alighting; until it was discovered that the Indians cut off their feet before preserving them. They are obtained in New Guinea, the Aru Islands, Misol, Salwatti, Wagiou (Crawfurd, Jour. Ind. Arch. iv. 182). In the nutmeg season, they come from their breeding grounds in the interior of N. Guinea, and sail in flocks of thirty or forty over the eastern borders of the Archipelago (Valentyn qu. Forrest, Voyage to New Guinea, 142). In Linens' genus Paradisea, many birds were included which have since been transferred to other genera. But three species still included in that genus are, P. apoda, Linn., with back of deep maronne brown, con trasting with the golden fulvous neck ; it is the P. major of Shaw, and has peculiar dense feather ing on the breast. P. Papuana, Bechstein (P. minor, Forster); back of a pale golden brown, shading with the golden fulvous of the neck, which i is continued all round the neck only in this species. P. Rubra, Cuvier (P. sanguinea, Show), is bright golden fulvous on the crown, neck, and back ; its axillary plumes are gorgeous red. All have short velvety feathers of a golden fulvous hue on the crown and nape, with the throat and forehead deep, dark, satiny green. Their Malay name, Manuk devata, means Birds of God. The living bird is a model of symmetry. The adult male birds of some species have ornamental tufts of long hairy plumes growing from under the wing, like the purple honeysucker of India, and in two species the middle pair of tail feathers are long wiry barbless' stems ; and the red kind have a broad flat riband of whalebone substance. The
beautiful little king-bird of paradise, Cicinnurus regius, has a deep emerald green disc on the middle tail feathers ; the Samalia magnifica has huge neck tufts. In the Parotia sex-setacea, the feathers of the flanks are a large floccose mass. The splendid Lophorina superba has its scapulary feathers enormously developed, like an erectile mantle, and is peculiarly adorned on the breast. The entire group is peculiar to Papua or New Guinea and the Aru Islands. They are shot with sharp or blunt arrows. They are as omnivorous as the crow ; and Rupicola coyana, like the turkeys, Argus pheasants, and the dancing bird of America, are fond of displaying their plumage in their sacaleli dances. Mr. A. Russel Wallace applies the term birds of paradise to the following: Paradisea apoda, Great Paradise Bird, Aru Islands.
P. Papuana, the Lesser Paradise Bird; in New Guinea, Mysol, and Jobie.
P. rubra, the Red Paradise Bird, in Waigion. Cicinnurus regius, the King Paradise Bird, in New Guinea, Aru Islands, Mysol, Salwatti.
Diphyliodes speciosa, the Magnificent, In New Guinea, Mysol, and Salwatti.
D. Wilson!, the Bed Magnificent, in Waigiou. Lophorina atra, the Superb, in New Guinea.
Parotia sexpennis, Golden Paradise Bird, New Guinea. Sendoptera Wallace', Standard Wing, liatehlan, 0 Illolo. Soloucides alba, tho Twelve-wired Paradise Bird, in Now Guinea and Salwatti.
I'tiloris magnifies, the Seale-breasted Paradiso Bird, New Guinea.
Pt. Alberti, Prince Albert's Paradise Bird, in North Australia.
Pt. Paradisea the Rifle Bird, in East Australia.
Pt. Victorke;the Victoria Rifle Bird, in N.E. Australia. Astrapia nigra, the Paradise Pio, in New Guinea. Sericulus aurcus, the Paradise Oriole, in New Guinea and Salwatti.
Epimachus magnus (Upupa maceni, Om., U. su(ierba, Lath.). Body generally black Or brownish-black ; tail graduated, thrice as long as the body (Lesson says three feet in length, French); of the sides elongated, raised, curled, gittering on their edges with steel-blue, azure, and emerald green, like precious stones ; the head and the belly lustrous, also with steel blue, etc: In truth, language fails to convey any just idea of the magnificence of the species. It inhabits the coasts of New Guinea.—Indiun Field; A. Russet Wallace; Bilmore; J. I. Arch. iv. 182 ; Crawl; Forrest,Voyage,142; Vakntyn, Ind. Arch. iii. 366.