Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-01-28
birds Of Paradise.

Birds of Paradise are the most beauti-
! tiful birds in the world, and it seems q
curious arrangement of the Creator, that
they are found only on islands, inhabited
chiefly by savage races, who have no
taste to admire their beauty.
There are eighteen known species, Of
which eight species belong exclusively to
New Guinea, six moro to islands once
connected with New Guinea, three to
Australia, and one to the Moluccss. The
latter is the only species that has been
very familiar to naturalists.
Some of them are large, equal in size
to our common crow, and of rich, cof-
fee brown color. A traveller thus de-
scribes them:
1.-THE head and neck are of pure
straw-yelow above, and rich metallic
green beneath. The long, plumy tufts Of
golden-orange feathers, two feet long,
spring from the sides, beneath each wing,
and, when the bird is in repose, are
partly concealed by them. At the time
of its excitement, however, the wings are
raised vertically over the back. The
head is bent down and stretched out, and
the long plumes are raised up and ex-
banded till they form two magnificent
golden fans, striped with deep red at
the base, and fading off into the pale
brown tint of the fnely-divided and
softly-wsving points. The whole bird is
then overshadowed by them, the crouch
ing body, yellow head and emerald.green
throat, forming but the foundation and
setting to the golden glory which waves
above. When seen in this attitude, the
bird of Paradise really deserves the
name, and must be ranked as one OF the
most beautiful and most wonderful of
living things"
II Is curious that nature deals With
birds quite differently from the human
race. We look for beauty rather to girls
than boys, and to women than men. But
the male birds Of paradise land through
the bird kingdom generally this holds
truel absorb ell the beauty. The female
has none Of the lopg tail wires, nor of
the yeIlov or green fssthers about the
head, nor of the golden-oEsnge planes;
she has but one color, q uniform caHee-
brown.
These birds have regular dancing par.
ties. which bring them into trouble. They
gather early In the morning on tree
with wide-sprssdfng branches. As it
to exhibit their wonderful beauty, they
raise up their wings, stretch out their
necks, aud elevate their exquisite plumes,
keeping them in constant vibration. Be-
tween whiles, they fly from branch to
branch, in great excitement, so that the
whole t-ee is filed with waving plumes,
in every ssyieiy Of attitude aCd action.
Their enemies take advantage OF these
dancing parties to attack them.
"TheY build q little shelter OF plain
leaves Ia q convenient place Guong the
branches, aud Ebe hunter hides himseRin
4 before daylight. 9Th q number Of ar
rows terminating in fopnd knob. A
boy waits at the foot sf the t,se, and
when the birds come at suu-ise, ans .
suficient number hsEs assembled, and
have begun TO dance, the hauter shoots
with bis blunt arrow 80 strongly as 70
,tup the bird, which drops down, and is
secured and killed by the boy. without it's
plumage being injured By drop OF blood.
The rest take no notice, and fall, one
After another, ill some Of them take the
Mr. Wallace, after = residences in the
MALAY Archipelago for Eve years, and .
constant tfort to obtain specimens Of
the birds Of paradise, WAS successful only
in obtaining five species. he found two
living ones At Singapore, and paid the
enormous sum Of one hundred pounds
sterling for them 10 carry them TO Europe.
They fed voraciously on rice, bananas
ans cockroaches. I had great difhe1lty