PARADISE BIRDS, Papua birds.
Burong mats, . , . Aar. Ave de Fardiso,. . Posy. Manuk devats, . . JaV. Burong Papua, . . Tuts. Burong devata, . Maur. Soffu, Sioffu, . . . „ , . Of the various birds of paradise, named by the Indians birds of Ternate (Valmont de Bomare, Historie Naturelle, iv. p. 296); by the Ternatians, birds of God (Valentyn's Indian Archipelago, iii. pp. 306-313); by the Dutch, king's birds (Forrest's Voyage to New Guinea, p. 142); and by the Spaniards, birds of the sun (Aldrovandus, Valmont de Bomare, iv. p. 297), the names Manuk devata and Burong devata, or bird of God, have been adopted in modifications by several naturalists (Margrav, Brazil, p. 207 ; Rai, Syn. A. Pp. 21-27 ; Briss, p. 2-130 ; Buffon's Hist. Nat. des Ois. iii. p. 207). Of these, the great Promeiopes (Pritchard's Researches, i. p. 83), the most beauti ful of winged creatures, were fabled by the fancy of the Arabian poet, as visitants from heaven to earth ; and it is a myth among the islanders of the Archipelago, 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,—a graceful fancy not forgotten by the moralist or the poet (Camoens' Lusiad, Book x.). No repre sentation 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 fly always against the wind. They are caught in New Guinea, the Aru Islands, Mysol, Salwatti, Wagiou (Crawfurd's Joan). Ind. Arch. v. p. 182), with a species of bird-lime, but are also shot with blunt arrows. In the nutmeg season, also, they come from their breeding grounds in the interior of that vast island, and sail in flocks of thirty, or forty over the eastern borders of the Archipelago. They form valuable articles of export. Europe is sup plied chiefly from Batavia, from the Molucca and Amu Isles, while the natives of that remote group, with many of the Malays, adorn their calques at martial pageants with feathers plucked from their glittering wings.
Mr. A. Russel Wallace applies the term birds of paradise to the following :— Paradisea apoda, the Great Paradiie Bird, in the Aru Islands.
P. Papuana, the Lesser Paradise Bird, in New Guinea, Mysol, and Jobie.
P. rubra, the Red Paradise Bird, in Wagiou. Cicinnurus regius the King Paradise Bird, in New Guinea, Aru islands, Mysol, Salwatti.
Diphyllodes speciosa, the Magnificent, in New Guinea, Mysol, and Salwatti.
D. Wilsoni, the Red Magnificent, in Wagiou. Lophorina atra, the Superb, in New Guinea.
Parotia sexpennis, the Golden Paradise Bird, in New Guinea.
Semioptera Wallacei, the Standard Wing, in Batchian and Gillolo.
Epimachus magnus (Upupa magna, U. superha, Lath.), the Long - tailed Paradise Bird. Body generally black or brownish-black ; tail graduated, thrice as long as the body (Leskm says three feet in lehgth, French); feathers of the sides elongated, raised, curled, glittering 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 this species. It inhabits the coasts of New Guinea.
Seleucides alba, the Twelve-wired paradise Bird, in New Guinea and Salwatti.
Ptiloris magnifica, the Scale-breastca Paradise Bird, New Guinea.
, Pt. Alberti, Prince Albert's Paradise Bird, in North Australia.
Pt. Paradisea, the Rifle Bird, in East Australia.
Pt. Victoria', the Victoria Rifle Bird, in N.B. Australia. Astrapia nigra, the Paradise Pie, in New Guinea. Sericulus aureus, the Paradise Oriole, in New Guinea and Salwatti.
Mr. D. G. Elliot, in 1873, in a monograph of these beautiful birds, in addition to those enu merated by Mr. Wallace, gave the following :— /Eluroaclus buccoides, crassirostris, melanotis. Amblyornis inornata.