the malay archipelago-2-第68章

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open　and　flutter　their　wings；　erect　the　long　shoulder　feathers；　and　spread　out　the　elegant　green　breast　shields。

The　Standard　Wing　is　found　in　Gilolo　as　well　as　in　Batchian；　and　all　the　specimens　from　the　former　island　have　the　green　breast　shield　rather　longer；　the　crown　of　the　head　darker　violet；　and　the　lower　parts　of　the　body　rather　more　strongly　scaled　with　green。　This　is　the　only　Paradise　Bird　yet　found　in　the　Moluccan　district；　all　the　others　being　confined　to　the　Papuan　Islands　and　North　Australia。

We　now　come　to　the　Epimachidae；　or　Long…billed　Birds　of　Paradise；　which；　as　before　stated；　ought　not　to　be　separated　from　the　Paradiseidae　by　the　intervention　of　any　other　birds。　One　of　the　most　remarkable　of　these　is　the　Twelve…wired　Paradise　Bird；　Paradises　alba　of　Blumenbach；　but　now　placed　in　the　genus　Seleucides　of　Lesson。

This　bird　is　about　twelve　inches　long；　of　which　the　compressed　and　curved　beak　occupies　two　inches。　The　colour　of　the　breast　and　upper　surface　appears　at　first　sight　nearly　black；　but　a　close　examination　shows　that　no　part　of　it　is　devoid　of　colour；　and　by　holding　it　in　various　lights；　the　most　rich　and　glowing　tints　become　visible。　The　head；　covered　with　short　velvety　feathers；　which　advance　on　the　chic　much　further　than　on　the　upper　part　of　the　beak；　is　of　a　purplish　bronze　colour；　the　whole　of　the　back　and　shoulders　is　rich　bronzy　green；　while　the　closed　wings　and　tail　are　of　the　most　brilliant　violet　purple；　all　the　plumage　having　a　delicate　silky　gloss。　The　mass　of　feathers　which　cover　the　breast　is　really　almost　black；　with　faint　glosses　of　green　and　purple；　but　their　outer　edges　are　margined　with　glittering　bands　of　emerald　green。　The　whole　lower　part　of　the　body　is　rich　buffy　yellow；　including　the　tuft　of　plumes　which　spring　from　the　sides；　and　extend　an　inch　and　a　half　beyond　the　tail。　When　skins　are　exposed　to　the　light　the　yellow　fades　into　dull　white；　from　which　circumstance　it　derived　its　specific　name。　About　six　of　the　innermost　of　these　plumes　on　each　side　have　the　midrib　elongated　into　slender　black　wires；　which　bend　at　right　angles；　and　curve　somewhat　backwards　to　a　length　of　about　ten　inches；　forming　one　of　those　extraordinary　and　fantastic　ornaments　with　which　this　group　of　birds　abounds。　The　bill　is　jet　black；　and　the　feet　bright　yellow。　（See　lower　figure　on　the　plate　at　the　beginning　of　this　chapter）。

The　female；　although　not　quite　so　plain　a　bird　as　in　some　other　species；　presents　none　of　the　gay　colours　or　ornamental　plumage　of　the　male。　The　top　of　the　head　and　back　of　the　neck　are　black；　the　rest　of　the　upper　parts　rich　reddish　brown；　while　the　under　surface　is　entirely　yellowish　ashy；　somewhat　blackish　on　the　breast；　and　crossed　throughout　with　narrow　blackish　wavy　bands。

The　Seleucides　alba　is　found　in　the　island　of　Salwatty；　and　in　the　north…western　parts　of　New　Guinea；　where　it　frequents　flowering　trees；　especially　sago…palms　and　pandani；　sucking　the　flowers；　round　and　beneath　which　its　unusually　large　and　powerful　feet　enable　it　to　cling。　Its　motions　are　very　rapid。　It　seldom　rests　more　than　a　few　moments　on　one　tree；　after　which　it　flies　straight　off；　and　with　great　swiftness；　to　another。　It　has　a　loud　shrill　cry；　to　be　heard　a　long　way；　consisting　of　〃Cah；　cah；〃　repeated　five　or　six　times　in　a　descending　scale；　and　at　the　last　note　it　generally　flies　away。　The　males　are　quite　solitary　in　their　habits；　although；　perhaps；　they　assemble　at　pertain　times　like　the　true　Paradise　Birds。　All　the　specimens　shot　and　opened　by　my　assistant　Mr。　Allen；　who　obtained　this　fine　bird　during　his　last　voyage　to　New　Guinea；　had　nothing　in　their　stomachs　but　a　brown　sweet　liquid；　probably　the　nectar　of　the　flowers　on　which　they　had　been　feeding。　They　certainly；　however；　eat　both　fruit　and　insects；　for　a　specimen　which　I　saw　alive　on　board　a　Dutch　steamer　ate　cockroaches　and　papaya　fruit　voraciously。　This　bird　had　the　curious　habit　of　resting　at　noon　with　the　bill　pointing　vertically　upwards。　It　died　on　the　passage　to　Batavia；　and　I　secured　the　body　and　formed　a　skeleton；　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；　i