the malay archipelago-2-第58节

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rds　have　fled　upon　a　tree　on　which　to　assemble；　they　build　a　little　shelter　of　palm　leaves　in　a　convenient　place　among　the　branches；　and　the　hunter　ensconces　himself　in　it　before　daylight；　armed　with　his　bow　and　a　number　of　arrows　terminating　in　a　round　knob。　A　boy　waits　at　the　foot　of　the　tree；　and　when　the　birds　come　at　sunrise；　and　a　sufficient　number　have　assembled；　and　have　begun　to　dance；　the　hunter　shoots　with　his　blunt　arrow　so　strongly　as　to　stun　the　bird；　which　drops　down；　and　is　secured　and　killed　by　the　boy　without　its　plumage　being　injured　by　a　drop　of　blood。　The　rest　take　no　notice；　and　fall　one　after　another　till　some　of　them　take　the　alarm。　（See　Frontispiece。）

The　native　mode　of　preserving　them　is　to　cut　off　the　wings　and　feet；　and　then　skin　the　body　up　to　the　beak；　taking　out　the　skull。　A　stout　stick　is　then　run　up　through　the　specimen　coming　out　at　the　mouth。　Round　this　some　leaves　are　stuffed；　and　the　whole　is　wrapped　up　in　a　palm　spathe　and　dried　in　the　smoky　hut。　By　this　plan　the　head；　which　is　really　large；　is　shrunk　up　almost　to　nothing；　the　body　is　much　reduced　and　shortened；　and　the　greatest　prominence　is　given　to　the　flowing　plumage。　Some　of　these　native　skins　are　very　clean；　and　often　have　wings　and　feet　left　on；　others　are　dreadfully　stained　with　smoke；　and　all　hive　a　most　erroneous　idea　of　the　proportions　of　the　living　bird。

The　Paradisea　apoda；　as　far　as　we　have　any　certain　knowledge；　is　confined　to　the　mainland　of　the　Aru　Islands；　never　being　found　in　the　smaller　islands　which　surround　the　central　mass。　It　is　certainly　not　found　in　any　of　the　parts　of　New　Guinea　visited　by　the　Malay　and　Bugis　traders；　nor　in　any　of　the　other　islands　where　Birds　of　Paradise　are　obtained。　But　this　is　by　no　means　conclusive　evidence；　for　it　is　only　in　certain　localities　that　the　natives　prepare　skins；　and　in　other　places　the　same　birds　may　be　abundant　without　ever　becoming　known。　It　is　therefore　quite　possible　that　this　species　may　inhabit　the　great　southern　mass　of　New　Guinea；　from　which　Aru　has　been　separated；　while　its　near　ally；　which　I　shall　next　describe；　is　confined　to　the　north…　western　peninsula。

The　Lesser　Bird　of　Paradise　（Paradisea　papuana　of　Bechstein）；　〃Le　petit　Emeraude〃　of　French　authors；　is　a　much　smaller　bird　than　the　preceding；　although　very　similar　to　it。　It　differs　in　its　lighter　brown　colour；　not　becoming　darker　or　purpled　on　the　breast；　in　the　extension　of　the　yellow　colour　all　over　the　upper　part　of　the　back　and　on　the　wing　coverts；　in　the　lighter　yellow　of　the　side　plumes；　which　have　only　a　tinge　of　orange；　and　at　the　tips　are　nearly　pure　white；　and　in　the　comparative　shortness　of　the　tail　cirrhi。　The　female　differs　remarkably　front　the　same　sex　in　Paradisea　apoda；　by　being　entirely　white　on　the　under　surface　of　the　body；　and　is　thus　a　much　handsomer　bird。　The　young　males　are　similarly　coloured；　and　as　they　grow　older　they　change　to　brown；　and　go　through　the　same　stages　in　acquiring　the　perfect　plumage　as　has　already　been　described　in　the　allied　species。　It　is　this　bird　which　is　most　commonly　used　in　ladies'　head…dresses　in　this　country；　and　also　forms　an　important　article　of　commerce　in　the　East。

The　Paradisea　papuana　has　a　comparatively　wide　range；　being　the　common　species　on　the　mainland　of　New　Guinea；　as　well　as　on　the　islands　of　Mysol；　Salwatty；　Jobie；　Biak　and　Sook。　On　the　south　coast　of　New　Guinea；　the　Dutch　naturalist；　Muller；　found　it　at　the　Oetanata　river　in　longitude　136°　E。　I　obtained　it　myself　at　Dorey；　and　the　captain　of　the　Dutch　steamer　Etna　informed　me　that　he　had　seen　the　feathers　among　the　natives　of　Humboldt　Bay；　in　141°　E。　longitude。　It　is　very　probable；　therefore；　that　it　ranges　over　the　whole　of　the　mainland　of　New　Guinea。

The　true　Paradise　Birds　are　omnivorous；　feeding　on　fruits　and　insectsof　the　former　preferring　the　small　figs；　of　the　latter；　grasshoppers；　locusts；　and　phasmas；　as　well　as　cockroaches　and　caterpillars。　When　I　returned　home；　in　1862；　I　was　so　fortunate　as　to　find　two　adult　males　of　this　species　in　Singapore；　and　as　they　seemed　healthy；　and　fed　voraciously　on　rice；　bananas；　and　cockroaches；　I　determined　on　giving　the　very　high　price　asked　for　them￡100。and　to　bring　them　to　England　by　the　overland　route　under　my　own　care。　On　my　way　home　I　stayed　a　week　at　Bombay；　to　break　the　journey；　and　to　lay　in　a　fresh　stock　of　bananas　for　my　birds。　I　had　great　difficulty；　however；　in　supplying　them　with　insect　food；　for　in　the　Peninsular　and　Oriental　steamers　cockroaches　were　scarce；　and　it　was　only　by　setting　traps　in　the　store…rooms；　and　by　hunting　an　hour　every　night　in　the　forecastle；　that　I　could　secure　a　few　dozen　of　these　creatures；　scarcely　enough　for　a　single　meal。　At　Malta；　where　I　stayed　a　fortnight；　I　got　plenty　of　cockroaches　from　a　bake…house；　and　when　I　left；　took　with　me　several　biscuit…tins'　full；　as　provision　for　the　voyage　home。　We　came　through　the　Mediterranean　in　March；　with　a　very　cold　wind；　and　the　only　place　on　board　the　mail…steamer　where　their　large　cage　could　be　accommodated　was　exposed　to　a　strong　current　of　air　down　a　hatchway　which　stood　open　day　and　night；　yet　the　birds　never　seemed　to　feel　the　cold。　During　the　night　journey　from　Marseilles　to　Paris　it　was　a　sharp　frost；　yet　they　arrived　in　London　in　perfect　health；　and　lived　in　the　Zoological　Gardens　for　one；　and　two　years；　often　displaying　their　beautiful　plumes　to　the　admiration　of　the　spectators。　It　is　evident；　therefore；　that　the　Paradise　Birds　are　very　hardy；　and　require　air　and　exercise　rather　than　heat；　and　I　feel　sure　that　if　a　good　sized　conservators‘　could　be　devoted　to　them；　or　if　they　could　be　turned　loose　in　the　tropical　department　of　the　Crystal　Palace　or　the　Great　Palm　House　at　Kew；　they　would　live　in　this　country　for　many　years。

The　Red　Bird　of　Paradise　（Paradisea　rubra　of　Viellot）；　though　allied　to　the　two　birds　already　described；　is　much　more　distinct　from　them　than　they　are　from　each　other。　It　is　about　the　same　size　as　Paradisea　papuana　（13　to　14　inches　long）；　but　differs　from　it　in　many　particulars。　The　side　plumes；　instead　of　being　yellow；　are　rich　crimson；　and　only　extend　about　three　or　four　inches　beyond　the　end　of　the　tail；　they　are　somewhat　rigid；　and　the　ends　are　curved　downwards　and　inwards；　and　are　tipped　with　white。　The　two　middle　tail　feathers；　instead　of　being　simply　elongated　and　deprived　of　their　webs；　are　transformed　into　stiff　black　ribands；　a　quarter　of　an　inch　wide；　but　curved　like　a　split　quill；　and　resembling　thin　half　cylinders　of　horn　or　whalebone。　When　a　dead　bird　is　laid　on　its　back；　it　is　seen　that　these　ribands　take　a　curve　or　set；　which　brings　them　round　so　as　to　meet　in　a　double　circle　on　the　neck　of　the　bird；　but　when　they　hang　downwards；　during　life；　they　assume　a　spiral　twist；　and　form　an　exceedingly　graceful　double　curve。　They　are　about　twenty…two　inches　long；　and　always　attract　attention　as　the　most　conspicuous　and　extraordinary　feature　of　the　species。　The　rich　metallic　green　colour　of　the　throat　extends　over　the　front　half　of　the　head　to　behind　the　eyes；　and　on　the　forehead　forms　a　little　double　crest　of　scaly　feathers；　which　adds　much　to　the　vivacity　of　the　bird's　aspect。　The　bill　is　gamboge　yellow；　and　the　iris　blackish　olive。　（Figure　at　p。　353。）

The　female　of　this　species　is　of　a　tolerably　uniform　coffee…brown　colour；　but　has　a　blackish　head；　and　the　nape　neck；　and　shoulders　yellow；　indicating　the　position　of　the　brighter　colours　of　the　male。　The　changes　of　plumage　follow　the　same　order　of　succession　as　in　the　other　species；　the　bright　colours　of　the　head　and　neck　being　first　developed；　then　the　lengthened　filaments　of　the　tail；　and　last　of　all；　the　red　side　plumes。　I　obtained　a　series　of　specimens；　illustrating　the　manner　in　which　the　extraordinary　black　tail　ribands　are　developed；　which　is　very　remarkable。　They　first　appear　as　two　ordinary　feathers；　rather　shorter　than　the　rest　of　the　tail；　the　second　stage　would　no　doubt　be　that　shown　in　a　specimen　of　Paradisea　apoda；　in　which　the　feathers　are　moderately　lengthened；　and　with　the　web　narrowed　in　the　middle；　the　third　stage　is　shown　by　a　specimen　which　has　part　of　the　midrib　bare；　and　terminated　by　a　spatulate　web；　in　another　the　bare　midrib　is　a　little　dilated　and　semi…cylindrical；　and　the　terminal　web　very　small；　in　a　fifth；　the　perfect　black　horny　riband　is　formed；　but　it　bears　at　its　extremity　a　brown　spatulate　web；　while　in　another　a　portion　of　the　black　riband　itself　bears；　for　a　portion　of　its　length；　a　narrow　brown　web。　It　is　only　after　these　changes　are　fully　completed　that　the　red　side　plumes　begin　to　appear。

The　successive　stages　of　development　of　the　colours　and　plumage　of　the　Birds　of　Paradise　are　very　interesting；　from　the　striking　manner　in　which　they　accord　with　the　theory　of　their　having　been　produced　by　the　simple　action　of　variation；　and　the　cumulative　power　of　selection　by　the　females；　of　those　male　birds　which　were　more　than　usually　ornamental。　Variations　of　_colour_　are　of　all　others　the　most　frequent　and　the　most　striking；　and　are　most　easily　modified　and　accumulated　by　man's　selection　of　them。　We　should　expect；　therefore；　that　the　sexual　differences　of　_colour_　would　be　those　most　early　accumulated　and　fixed；　and　would　therefore　appear　soon