The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-08-19


Have you ever seen bird OF para
disc? 1t is OF moderate size, and re-
sembles a crow or starting in its
structure and habits, but It's plumage
is developed to a degree not eQualed
in and other family Of birds. In sew
eral species large tufts Of bright-col-
ored feathers spring from each side
of the body beneath the wings, forming
trains or fans, and the middle feathers
of the tail are often heightened into
wires, twisted into fantastic shapes
or adorned with the most brilliant
metallic tints. In another species the
the ornamental plumes spring from
the head. the back or the shoulders.
while the intensity Of color and Of
metallic ustre displayed by their
plumage is superior to that of any Of
the feathered tribe except, perhaps,
the hnmming birds. and is surpassed
even by these.
The great bird of paradise is TIN
largest species known being generally
seventeen or eighteen fnshcs from the
beak to the tip OF the tell The body,
coffee-brown, which deepens on the
breast to blackish violet or a purple
brown The whole top of the head
and the neck is ofsan exceedingly deli
cate straw-yellow. the feathers being
short and close set. SO as to resemble
plush or velvet; the lower part of the
throat. up to the eye, is clothed in
scaly feathers of an emerald-green
color, with rich metallic gloss. and
yelvety plumes of a still deeper green
extend in a Eand across the forehead
and the chin as far as the eye. which
is bright yellow.
The beak is pale lead-blue, and the
feet, which are rather large and very
strong and well formed, are of pale,
ashy pink. The two middle feathers
of the tail have no webs, except a very
small one at the base and the extreme
tip, forming wire-like curls. which
spread out in an elegant double curve
and vary from twenty-four aud thirty
four inches in length.
From each side of the body, beueath
the wings, springs a dense tuft of Iona
and delicate plumes, sometimes two
feet in length. of the most intense
golden orange color and glossy, but
changing toward the tips into a pale
brown. This tuft Of plumage may be
elevated and spread out at pleasure,
so as almost to conceal the body Of
the bird.
These splendid ornaments are con-
fined entirely to the male sex, while
the female is really very plain and
ordinary looking bird of a uniform
coffee-brown color, which never
changes, neither does she possess the
long tail wires nor q single yellow or
green feather about the head. Their
mode of Matching is not known, but
the natives say that the nest is form
ed of leaves placed on an ants nest
or on some projecting limb of a very
lofty tree. and they believe that it
contains only one young bird. The
egg is quite unknown and the natives
declare they have never seen it. A
high reward was offered for one by
Dutch official, but 1t did not meet with
success.
The birds mott about January or
February, and in May, when they are
in full pIumage, the males assemble
early in the morning and hold dane
ing parties in certain trees. The ma
tives conceal. themselves under a shell
ter of palm leaves and shoot them
with blunt arrows This stuns the
bird. which drops and is secured and
killed by the boys stationed under the
trees. SO that it's plumage is not in
jured by drop OF blood. The rest
take no notice and fall one after am