the malay archipelago-2-第61节

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　which　shows　indisputably　that　it　is　really　a　Bird　of　Paradise。　The　tongue　is　very　long　and　extensible；　but　flat　and　little　fibrous　at　the　end；　exactly　like　the　true　Paradiseas。

In　the　island　of　Salwatty；　the　natives　search　in　the　forests　till　they　find　the　sleeping　place　of　this　bird；　which　they　know　by　seeing　its　dung　upon　the　ground。　It　is　generally　in　a　low　bushy　tree。　At　night　they　climb　up　the　trap；　and　either　shoot　the　birds　with　blunt　arrows；　or　even　catch　them　alive　with　a　cloth。　In　New　Guinea　they　are　caught　by　placing　snares　on　the　trees　frequented　by　them；　in　the　same　way　as　the　Red　Paradise　birds　are　caught　in　Waigiou；　and　which　has　already　been　described　at　page　362。

The　great　Epimaque；　or　Long…tailed　Paradise　Bird　（Epimachus　magnus）；　is　another　of　these　wonderful　creatures；　only　known　by　the　imperfect　skins　prepared　by　the　natives。　In　its　dark　velvety　plumage；　glowed　with　bronze　and　purple；　it　resembles　the　Seleucides　alba；　but　it　bears　a　magnificent　tail　more　than　two　feet　long；　glossed　on　the　upper　surface　with　the　most　intense　opalescent　blue。　Its　chief　ornament；　however；　consists　in　the　group　of　broad　plumes　which　spring　from　the　sides　of　the　breast；　and　which　are　dilated　at　the　extremity；　and　banded　with　the　most　vivid　metallic　blue　and　green。　The　bill　is　long　and　curved；　and　the　feet　black；　and　similar　to　those　of　the　allied　forms。　The　total　length　of　this　fine　bird　is　between　three　and　four　feet。

This　splendid　bird　inhabits　the　mountains　of　New　Guinea；　in　the　same　district　with　the　Superb　and　the　Six…shafted　Paradise　Birds；　and　I　was　informed　is　sometimes　found　in　the　ranges　near　the　coast。　I　was　several　times　assured　by　different　natives　that　this　bird　makes　its　nest　in　a　hole　under　ground；　or　under　rocks；　always　choosing　a　place　with　two　apertures；　so　that　it　may　enter　at　one　and　go　out　at　the　other。　This　is　very　unlike　what　we　should　suppose　to　be　the　habits　of　the　bird；　but　it　is　not　easy　to　conceive　how　the　story　originated　if　it　is　not　true；　and　all　travellers　know　that　native　accounts　of　the　habits　of　animals；　however　strange　they　may　seem；　almost　invariably　turn　out　to　be　correct。

The　Scale…breasted　Paradise　Bird　（Epimachus　magnificus　of　Cuvier）　is　now　generally　placed　with　the　Australian　Rifle　birds　in　the　genus　Ptiloris。　Though　very　beautiful；　these　birds　are　less　strikingly　decorated　with　accessory　plumage　than　the　other　species　we　have　been　describing；　their　chief　ornament　being　a　more　or　less　developed　breastplate　of　stiff　metallic　green　feathers；　and　a　small　tuft　of　somewhat　hairy　plumes　on　the　sides　of　the　breast。　The　back　and　wings　of　this　species　are　of　an　intense　velvety　black；　faintly　glossed　in　certain　lights　with　rich　purple。　The　two　broad　middle　tail　feathers　are　opalescent　green…blue　with　a　velvety　surface；　and　the　top　of　the　head　is　covered　with　feathers　resembling　scales　of　burnished　steel。　A　large　triangular　space　covering　the　chin；　throat；　and　breast；　is　densely　scaled　with　feathers；　having　a　steel…blue　or　green　lustre；　and　a　silky　feel。　This　is　edged　below　with　a　narrow　band　of　black；　followed　by　shiny　bronzy　green；　below　which　the　body　is　covered　with　hairy　feathers　of　a　rich　claret　colour；　deepening　to　black　at　the　tail。　The　tufts　of　side　plumes　somewhat　resemble　those　of　the　true　Birds　of　Paradise；　but　are　scanty；　about　as　long　as　the　tail；　and　of　a　black　colour。　The　sides　of　the　head　are　rich　violet；　and　velvety　feathers　extend　on　each　side　of　the　beak　over　the　nostrils。

I　obtained　at　Dorey　a　young　male　of　this　bird；　in　a　state　of　plumage　which　is　no　doubt　that　of　the　adult　female；　as　is　the　case　in　all　the　allied　species。　The　upper　surface；　wings；　and　tail　are　rich　reddish　brown；　while　the　under　surface　is　of　a　pale　ashy　colour；　closely　barred　throughout　with　narrow　wavy　black　bands。　There　is　also　a　pale　banded　stripe　over　the　eye；　and　a　long　dusky　stripe　from　the　gape　down　each　side　of　the　neck。　This　bird　is　fourteen　inches　long；　whereas　the　native　skins　of　the　adult　male　are　only　about　ten　inches；　owing　to　the　way　in　which　the　tail　is　pushed　in；　so　as　to　give　as　much　prominence　as　possible　to　the　ornamental　plumage　of　the　breast。

At　Cape　York；　in　North　Australia；　there　is　a　closely　allied　species；　Ptiloris　alberti；　the　female　of　which　is　very　similar　to　the　young　male　bird　here　described。　The　beautiful　Rifle　Birds　of　Australia；　which　much　resemble　those　Paradise　Birds；　are　named　Ptiloris　paradiseus　and　Ptiloris　victories；　The　Scale…breasted　Paradise　Bird　seems　to　be　confined　to　the　mainland　of　New　Guinea；　and　is　less　rare　than　several　of　the　other　species。

There　are　three　other　New　Guinea　birds　which　are　by　some　authors　classed　with　the　Birds　of　Paradise；　and　which；　being　almost　equally　remarkable　for　splendid　plumage；　deserve　to　be　noticed　here。　The　first　is　the　Paradise　pie　（Astrapia　nigra　of　Lesson）；　a　bird　of　the　size　of　Paradises　rubra；　but　with　a　very　long　tail；　glossed　above　with　intense　violet。　The　back　is　bronzy　black；　the　lower　parts　green；　the　throat　and　neck　bordered　with　loose　broad　feathers　of　an　intense　coppery　hue；　while　on　the　top　of　the　head　and　neck　they　are　glittering　emerald　green；　All　the　plumage　round　the　head　is　lengthened　and　erectile；　and　when　spread　out　by　the　living　bird　must　lave　an　effect　hardly　surpassed　by　any　of　the　true　Paradise　birds。　The　bill　is　black　and　the　feet　yellow。　The　Astrapia　seems　to　me　to　be　somewhat　intermediate　between　the　Paradiseidae　and　Epimachidae。

There　is　an　allied　species；　having　a　bare　carunculated　head；　which　has　been　called　Paradigalla　carunculata。　It　is　believed　to　inhabit；　with　the　preceding；　the　mountainous；　interior　of　New　Guinea；　but　is　exceedingly　rare；　the　only　known　specimen　being　in　the　Philadelphia　Museum。

The　Paradise　Oriole　is　another　beautiful　bird；　which　is　now　sometimes　classed　with　the　Birds　of　Paradise。　It　has　been　named　Paradises　aurea　and　Oriolus　aureus　by　the　old　naturalists；　and　is　now　generally　placed　in　the　same　genus　as　the　Regent　Bird　of　Australia　（Sericulus　chrysocephalus）。　But　the　form　of　the　bill　and　the　character　of　the　plumage　seem　to　me　to　be　so　different　that　it　will　have　to　form　a　distinct　genus。　This　bird　is　almost　entirely　yellow；　with　the　exception　of　the　throat；　the　tail；　and　part　of　the　wings　and　back；　which　are　black；　but　it　is　chiefly　characterised　by　a　quantity　of　long　feathers　of　an　intense　glossy　orange　colour；　which　cover　its　neck　down　to　the　middle　of　the　back；　almost　like　the　hackles　of　a　game…cock。

This　beautiful　bird　inhabits　the　mainland　of　New　Guinea；　and　is　also　found　in　Salwatty；　but　is　so　rare　that　I　was　only　able　to　obtain　one　imperfect　native　skin；　and　nothing　whatever　is　known　of　its　habits。

I　will　now　give　a　list　of　all　the　Birds　of　Paradise　yet　known；　with　the　places　they　are　believed　to　inhabit。

1。　Paradisea　apoda　（The　Great　Paradise　Bird）。　Aru　Islands。

2。　Paradisea　papuana　（The　Lesser　Paradise　Bird）。　New　Guinea；　Mysol；　Jobie。

3。　Paradisea　rubra　（The　Red　Paradise　Bird）。　Waigiou；

4。　Cicinnurus　regius　（The　King　Paradise　Bird）。　New　Guinea；　Aru　Islands；　Mysol；　Salwatty。

5。　Diphyllodes　speciosa　（The　Magnificent）。　New　Guinea；　Mysol；　Salwatty。

6。　Diphyllodes　wilsoni　（The　Red　Magnificent）。　Waigiou。

7。　Lophorina　atra　（The　Superb）。　New　Guinea。

8。　Parotia　sexpennis　（The　Golden　Paradise　Bird）。　New　Guinea。

9。　Semioptera　wallacei　（The　Standard　Wing）。　Batchian；　Gilolo。

10。　Epimachus　magnus　（The　Long…tailed　Paradise　Bird）。　New　Guinea

11。　Seleucides　albs　（The　Twelve…wired　Paradise　Bird）。New　Guinea；　Salwatty。

12。　Ptiloris　magnifica　（The　Scale…breasted　Paradise　Bird）。　New　Guinea。

13。　Ptiloris　alberti　（Prince　Albert's　Paradise　Bird）。　North　Australia。

14。　Ptiloris　Paradisea　（The　Rifle　Bird）。　East　Australia。

15。　Ptiloris　victoriae　（The　Victorian　Rifle　Bird）。　North…East　Australia。

16。　Astrapia　nigra　（The　Paradise　Pie）。　New　Guinea。

17。　Paradigalla　carunculata　（The　Carunculated　Paradise　Pie）。　New　Guinea。

I8。　（？）　Sericulus　aureus　（The　Paradise　Oriole）。　New　Guinea；　Salwatty。

We　see；　therefore；　that　of　the　eighteen　species　which　seem　to　deserve　a　place　among　the　Birds　of　Paradise；　eleven　are　known　to　inhabit　the　great　island　of　New　Guinea；　eight　of　which　are　entirely　confined　to　it　and　the　hardly　separated　island　of　Salwatty。　But　if　we　consider　those　islands　which　are　now　united　to　New　Guinea　by　a　shallow　sea　to　really　form　a　part　of　it；　we　shall　find　that　fourteen　of　the　Paradise　Birds　belong　to　that　country；　while　three　inhabit　the　northern　and　eastern　parts　of　Australia；　and　one　the　Moluccas。　All　the　more　extraordinary　and　magnificent　species　are；　however；　entirely　confined　to　the　Papuan　region。

Although　I　devoted　so　much　time　to　a　search　after　these　wonderful　birds；　I　only　succeeded　myself　in　obtaining　five　species　during　a　residence　of　many　months　in　the　Aru　Islands；　New　Guinea；　and　Waigiou。　Mr。　Allen's　voyage　to　Mysol　did　not　procure　a　single　additional　species；　but　we　both　heard　of　a　place　called　Sorong；　on　the　mainland　of　New　Guinea；　near　Salwatty；　where　we　were　told　that　all　the　kinds　we　desired　could　be　obtained。　We　therefore　determined　that　he　should　visit　this　place；　and　endeavour　to　penetrate　into　the　interior　among　the　natives；　who　actually　shoot　and　skin　the　Birds　of　Paradise。　He　went　in