BIRD OF PARADISE. A member of an Australasian family of passerine birds, remark able for ornamental plumes, and so called in free translation of their native name in the Jloluccas, meaning 'birds of the gods,' which Buffon trans formed into manneode. They first became known to Europe by specimens brought by the returning ship of Magellan's expedition in 1522; but their skins had previously circulated in trade in In dia, Persia, and among the Arabs, being worn in the headdresses of the Janizaries early in the Sixteenth Century; and they soon began to be imported into Spain and Portugal. In preparing for market the skins (mainly or altogether those of the great bird of paradise) the islanders cut off the legs and sometimes the wings, leaving in place of the latter simply the tufts of orange plumes that spring from beneath them. Thus, although Antonio Pigafetta. in his account of the Magellan voyages, had described them pretty accurately as ]icing birds of ordinary structure, many fables were woven around these mutilated skins, and burdened literature for many years, as may be seen by a reference to Aldrovandus and his followers: and a monument remains in the present specific name of the most prominent form, Paradisca 'footless.' It is a curious circumstance that although first, and for a long time, only known from the Moluccas (where the species sent by the ruler as a present to the King of Portugal was not rediscovered until lately), the paradise birds are most nu merous and varied elsewhere, especially in New Guinea and the neighboring islands (particularly Are) and along the northern margin of Austra lia; many, however, are confined to limited areas, as a single small island. There are about fifty species forming a part of a family (Paradiseidar), which is closely related to the crows, and which also contains the Australian rifle-birds and Lower-birds (q.v.).
Birds of paradise vary in size from that of a crow to that of a sparrow, and spend their lives and make their nests—which, as a rule, are of very simple construction—in the forest tree tops. All of them are lively and active, running and hanging about the branches with the cling ing agility of woodpeckers, as well as in graceful perching attitudes. and all are more or less gre garious and migratory, moving around, or pass tng back and forth between certain islands, with changing seasons in search of food. Their food consists largely of various fruits; but bisects, snails, and other things are eaten, this group sharing the omnivorous appetites of the crowr, and jays. Females and young form little flocks
which act together, but the males are less often seen, though betraying their presence by loud, harsh cries. The plumage of all is remarkably soft and velvety, and pleasing tints everywhere prevail: but there is a constant and great dis similarity between the sexes, the females and young being dressed in quiet colors, and having none of the eccentric and gorgeous plumage which renders the males so conspicuous, and which, if worn by the hens. would betray their presence on the nest and lead to the extermination of the species by its natural enemies, such as monkeys, arboreal birds, and beasts of prey. The mar velous ornamentation of the males seems to have been developed wholly by rivalry in attracting the admiration of the females; and in the court': ing season assemblages of these magnificent beaus take place upon certain trees, where they dis play their beauties in a sort of matrimonial mart which the Papuans call dancing parties. "A dozen or twenty full-plumaged male birds." says Wallace, "assemble together, raise up their wings, stretch out their necks, and elevate their ex quisite plumes, keeping them in a continual vibration. Between whiles they fly across from branch to branch in a state of great excitement, so that the whole tree is filled with waving plumes in every variety of attitude and motion." This family, therefore, naturally plays a very important part in the evidence adduced by Dar win, Wallace, and other evolutionists, in support of the theory of sexual selection as a means of developing certain specific and group character istics. It is at the time of these assemblages at dawn, when the birds are too much engrossed with their 'dancing' to be cautious, that the natives secrete themselves in the tree-tops and silently shoot them down with blunt-headed ar rows: and this and other means have been prac ticed so assiduously to supply the demand for the plumes by milliners that several species are now nearly exterminated. The skins are rough ly prepared and cured by smoke, so that they lose a good deal of their brilliancy and delicacy of texture. Few species have been caught alive, or, at any rate, have lived to be carried to Europe. and none probably have ever reached America. Some endure confinement well enough in the tropics, and exhibit in their cages an amusing solicitude to keep their trailing finery in perfect order.