CHALYBIEUS, a genus of Birds, separated by envier from the Cassicans of Buffon ; Barita of Cuvier. The bill has the same form RS that of the Cassicans, but it is a little larger at the base than that organ is in the last-named genus, and the nostrils are pierced in a large, membranous space.
The species come from New Guinea, and are remarkable for the metallic tints of their plumage.
Example, Chalybaus paradisreus. This richly-plumed bird is the Paradisea riridia of Gmelin ; Le Calyb6 de la Nouvelle (Juin& of Buffon ; Le Grand Chalyb6 of Le Valliant: Oiseau de Pendia Vert of Sonnerat; Paradisea cludybea, Blue-Green Paradise Bird, of Latham Cracticus chat ybeus of Vieillot ; Barita riridis of the first edition of the Regne Animal' (where it was placed under the Cassicans, Barita), and Chalybcrus paradiscrus of the last edition. It is the Mansineme of the Papuan tongue, according to Lesson, who thus writes on the subject from personal observation :—" Among the numerous skins of birds of paradise which the inhabitants of New Guinea brought daily on board, I found some Chalybai deprived of their feet, and run through with a stick like the skins of the true birds of paradise.
Afterwards we often procured in our shooting parties a bird which does not vary from that of which we speak, except in having a more sombre and tarnished plumage, there being no difference in the pro portions of the body, bill, wings, or tail. We regard it as a slight variety of the Calyb6 of authors ; for those that we saw which were adult and in complete plumage, did not permit us to think that they could be Cludybcci before or after their moult. The total length of
our Chalybceus was 14 inches 6 lines (French). The bill differed not at all from the ordinary Chalyboeus. The bead is large, and the tail, 6 inches in length, is rounded by the disposition of the feathers, as in the preceding. The plumage is entirely bluish metallic green, having none of the iridescent, varying, and violet tints. The feathers of the neck and abdomen are not figured (gaufrees), nor powdered (sables) with gold and silver ou a green and blue ground of burnished steel, as it were (d'acier bruni), like the Chalybteus; but the plumage that covers these parts has a uniform tint, having the brilliancy of specular iron (fcr speculaire) following the reflections of the light. The feathers which cover the head and neck are short, close set, and velvety. The nostrils are partially closed by a mem brane covered by the frontal feathers, which advance on each side of the edge (arete) of the bill, which is black. The iris is coral-red, and the legs are of the same colour as the bill. Their shanks (tarses) are covered with large scales (6cussons), and their toes are strong, furnished with compressed claws, flattened above, and crooked.
" The Chalyba-us lives solitary in the forests of New Guinea. We often saw it perched in the great trees, where it seeks for fruits. Its manners appeared to have great analogy to those of the crows."