Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-12-20
Our 4Joun9 folks.
The Bird OF Paradise
Rrs a. BROWSE

Many years ago when European, first
began to sail their vessels In what j. nos
caiedVthe Maayau Archipelago, the ma
tives of some Of the islands where they
touched. to seek for the precious spices
OF the East, offered them IN trade, "a new
and strange commodity. 1t consisted ot
dried and stuffed skins Of certain birds.
with pIumes OF such marvellous beauty, a.
20 excite their establishment and admira-
ton. The Malay traders called them in
their language Gods birds The skins
had neither wings nor feet aud 1T came to
De believed that these wonderful creatures
lived in and upon the air; that they never
aighted, and finally that 10 one had ever
seen them alive. Portuguese merchants
brought them % Europe where thy found
a ready market among the gay ami FASH
Ionable. even At the enormous price,
al which they were held. At one time
they were ga led g. Birds OF the sun :" bur
al length a Dutch writer gave them ta-
name g Birds Of Paradise, which they still.
retain.
Little 81 nothing was really known Of
the habits or history Of these beautiful
birds, uuo. the recent explorations OF the
Eaglsh naturalist, Wallace. Who has taken
great pains 20 get al the true account III
The bird Of paradise in its native islands
Of the May'ayan Arch PeIago. Perhaps
our Young r. aders would ike 20 know
without much time or trouble, what cps,
h'm great deal Of both TO find out.
Those splendid birds, strange to say,
belong 10 the same family as the crow They
are Of moderate SIZE. and OF many varie-
ties. but alike characterized by an extra
ordinary development Of plumage with
which no others can compare. This piu-
mage, however, belongs exclusively 10 the
male bird tue female beng very plain
and unadorned.
The arrangement and insertion of these
plumes are different 10 different species
Some OF them have large TUFTS of the most
delicate colors sprInging from each SIDE Of
the body beneath the wings; for they nave
wings end feet, aud fy and eat, and perch,
Just like other birds The stories above
alluded 70 arose from the manner in which
the native dealers prepared the skins for
market; removing the wings and legs 10
order the better to exhibit tue character
stIc feathers In some, these start from
the head in others from the back or the
shoulders. Still others have the middle
feathers Of the tail extended TO an extra
ordinary length Or twisted and kinked into
the most fantastic shapes and Ornamented
with the most brilliant TITS.
The great Bird Of Parid Sc Is perhaps
the most reuarkabie of the whole tribe
aud sometimes measures eighteen inches
or two feet from the tip Of IT'S back TO the
end Of its tail feathers lis body is brown ;
30 are its wings and tail. the head is
yellow, the throat green, the brown Of the
breast deepens into purple. Bur the glory
Of IT. plumage consists Of dense tufts Of
long. delicate feathers starting from under
the wings, OF a glossy golden orange,
shaded towards the tips with pale brown.
These plumes, sometimes two feet ia length.
can be elevated and spread out at pleasure,
50 az almost TO conceal the entire body Of the
bird. They moult in January and Febru-
airy, which 10 that part of the world are
the summer months, and about the first Of
May are in " full dress"
Like many other bipeds with their finest
feathers on, they seem disposed to make
all possible display OF themselves. And
although they choose a more sensible hour
Of the day to DO it than human dutterers,
they accomplish their purpose equally as
well Bear in mind, however, that it is
the gentleman bird shat thus parades MS
sDiendors. The plaiD-clad, humble, meek,
little wife, has other works 10 10 IN her
proper sphere" An this time sue is
engaged with her nest or her nestlings. and
never appears, even on those :. state occa-
sions We are just going to describe, as
illustrative Of one OF the most curious
habits OF the Birds Of Paradise.
The natives of the islands where they
live. say. that these birds have their rcgu-
Jar sacclei, or dancing parties, winch
are truly marvel to behold, and must
really be Witnessed to be appreciated. But
u spectator must enter unnvited and IN
disguise; Il Is thus alone that the mvste-
rious secrets Of toese gay scenes leak out.
The ball room is a large green tree /;
and by watching cautiously, the natives
ascertain that some particular ole mas
been duiy select d by the committee of ar
fragments, for . grand assembly Just be-
fore sunrise 1t Us fancy ourselves
present. \ score or tv o IF dancers are on
the tree. and others are every moment ar
irving. What Tutoring. and whirling
and haunting What an incessant fitting
and Furnishing from branch to branch, till
the whole huge tree is alive with the mo-
tion Of waving plumes and the glitter Of
The respondent colors. The wings are
raised and kept in constant vibration.
Round and round, up and down. hither
and thither they dart, exhibiting in some
new light or position the exquisite beauty
of these decorations " When the excite