flies thus from the influence of heat, and likes the shade of the thick and bushy foliage of the teak trees. It
rarely leaves these trees in the middle o f the day; and if is only in the morning and evening that it is seen
seeking its food. Ordinarily, when it believes itself to be alone, it utters a piercing cry, rendering with
exactitude the syllables voike, voike, voike, strongly articulated. These cries, at the time of our sojourn in New
Guinea in July, appeared to us to be a call; for the females, grouped in small numbers on the surrounding
trees then obeyed the voice of love. Never among these troops did we see more than one male strutting
proudly in the midst of these plainly apparelled individuals, whilst he, plumed dandy, resembled a cock who
shouts victory after having beaten a rival and gained the sovreignty of a poultry-yard. Is the little Emerald
Bird of Paradise, then, a polygamist? or is this disproportionate number of females owing to the continual chase
after the males, which causes this scarcity, whilst the females are neglected and allowed to live in peace without fear
of man, having only to protect themselves from their natural enemies the beasts of the woods? Attracted by this
voike, voike, we found it easy in our hunts to follow the Birds of Paradise, and to kill a pretty large number.
The first one we saw astonished us so much that the gun remained quiet in our hand, so profound was our
wonderment. We walked with care in the tracks made by the wild boars, in the deep shades of the bushes
surrounding the harbour of Dorey, when a little Emerald Paradise Bird, flying above our heads with graceful
and easy flight, seemed to us like a meteor, of which the tail of fire left behind a mass which filled the air
with a long train of light. When an unaccustomed sound strikes the ear of the ' little Emerald Bird of
Paradise, it becomes perfectly quiet; it remains hidden in the deep foliage that conceals it from the view
of the hunter ; hut if the sound continues, it soon flies away. It perches upon the highest branches of the
loftiest trees of New Guinea; and it is very difficult to shoot without using long-range guns; for it does not
fall l-mlpgg shot dead, and the distance from which it is necessary to shoot is not less than one hundred and
fifty paces. It is unnecessary to say heavy shot are required. When it is only wounded, it expires in the
thickets; however, we happened one day to find, dying upon the banks of a pond in the bed of a half-dried
torrent, one of these birds which had been wounded the day before. It is, then, in the evening or, bétter,
the morning that the hunter must be on the watch, after having carefully reconnoitred the trees filled with
fruit, to which the Paradise-birds resort. There, perfectly still, he awaits patiently the advent of the Emeralds,
soon foretold by their harsh and strong cry. At the time of our stay in tibie land of promise for naturalists
(from the 26th of July to the 9th of August), these fairy creatures searched for the fleshy buds o f the teak
trees, hut above all for the pinky white, very mucilaginous fruits of the fig-tree. We always found insects
in their crops; and during om sojourn at Amboina two Emerald Birds of Paradise, which we saw alive at
the house of a rich Chinese merchant, were fed with large moths and boiled rice.”
Mr. Wallace procured many specimens of this beautiful bird during his travels among the islands of the Indian
archipelago ; for, unlike its larger relative, the present species inhabits several different islands, as well as being a
native also of the mainland of New Guinea. I may remark here that Mr. Wallace was the first to send many of
the different species of the Birds of Paradise in a perfect state to Europe; for, previously to his visit, nothing but
the mutilated skins prepared by the natives had been received by collectors, giving a very imperfect idea o f the
surpassing beauty of the birds.ft “ The Paradisea papuana,” says this gentleman, “ has a comparatively wide range,
being the common species on the mainland of New Guinea, as well as on the islands of Mysol, Salwatty, Johie,
Biak and Sook. On the south coast of New Guinea, the Dutch naturalist Muller found it at the Oetanata rivera in
longitude 136° E. I obtained it myself at Dorey ; and the captain of the Dutch steamer Etna informed me that
he had seen the feathers among the natives of Humboldt Bay, 141° E. longitude. It is very probable, therefore, that
it ranges over the whole of the mainland o f New. Guinea. The true Paradise-birds are omnivorous, feeding on fruits
and insects,—o f the former preferring small figs; of the latter, grasshoppers, locusts and phasmas, as well as
cockroaches and caterpillars. When I returned home in 1862, I was so fortunate as to find two adult males of
this species in Singapore; and as they seemed healthy, and fed voraciously on rice, bananas, and cockroaches, I
determined on giving the very high price asked for them (¿€100), and to bring them to England by the overland
route under my own care. On my way home I stayed a week at Bombay to break the journey, and to lay in
a fresh stock of bananas for my birds. I had great difficulty, however, in supplying them with insect food; for in
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the Peninsular and Oriental steamers cockroaches were scarce, and it was only by -. setting traps in the store-rooms
and by hunting an hour-ievery j night in the forecastle, that I could secure a few dozen of these creatures, scarcely
enough for a single meal. At Malta, where I stayed a fortnight, I got plenty of cockroaches from a bakehouse, and,
when I left, took with me several biscuit-tins ftdl as provision for the voyage home. We came through the
Mediterranean in March, with ,a very cold wind ; and the only place on board the mail-steamer where their large
cage could be accommodated" was exposed to a strong current of air down a hatchway, which stood open day and
night; yet the birds never seemed to feel the cold. During the night journey from Marseilles to Paris it was a sharp
frost; yet they.arrived in London in perfect health, and lived in the Zoological Gardens for one and two years, often
displaying their beautiful plumes to the admiration of the spectators. It is evident, therefore, that the Paradise-birds
are very hardy,-and require air ■ and exercise rather than heat; and I feel sure that if a good-sized conservatory
could be;devoted to them, or if they could be turned loose in the tropical department of the Crystal Palace, or the
Great Palm-hoüse at Kew, they would live in this country for many years.” The following short note by Mr. Sclater
was published in the Proceedings of the Society on the arrival of the birds brought by Mr. Wallace:—
“ Thé two Paradise-birds had been lodged' in the üppër part' of the Zoological Society’s old Museum, a room
having been fitted up for their reception, with a large cage of galvanized wire, 20 feet long by 11 in width. As
they were both males, it had been found necessary to keep them apart, the sight of one another, or even of a
Paradise-hird’s plume waved near them in the air, producing in them great excitement. The cage had been,
therefore, divided by a screen which excluded the-light, and the two birds placed in the separate compartments.
The remarkable side plumes which ornament the males of the true Paradiseoe when in full dress were as yet but
partially developed in these specimens, but in a few weeks, if the birds continue to thrive, would probably attain
their full dimensions.”
Mr. A. D. Bartlett, the Superintendent of the Zoological Gardens in Regent’s Park, has kindly furnished me with
the following account regarding the two individuals of this species which lived for some time in the Society’s aviary.
“Whén the two Birds of Paradise first arrived at the Gardens in April 1862, their plumes were quite short, only
about five inches long. The birds had moulted, and the new feathers were growing in a thick bunch on each side
below their wings. They appeared in good health and were active and lively. I soon ascertained how fond they
were of meal-worms and other insects ; and they fed freely upon fruit, boiled rice, &c. ; a little cooked flesh was
also acceptable ‘tb them. Their mode of hopping about from perch to perch and clinging to the bars or wires
of the cage reminded one of a Jay or Jackdaw. They were fond of a bath, and were very careful in dressing
and drying their fine plumes: these were about two months in growing to full perfection; and it was a charming
sight to see them when in frill plumage. When uttering their loud call, the body was bent forwards, the wings
spread open and raised up, frequently over their heads, meeting the plumes, which were spread in the most
graceful manner, every feather vibrating in a way that almost dazzled the sight. During this display the bird
would become greatly excited, and sometimes turn almost under the perch or branch, the head and neck being
bent so low down. At this period we found they would not agree, but attacked each other; and we were
therefore obliged to keep them separated by a wire division. They hopped about like Jays or Jackdaws, never ran
i;1tp. Starlings or Magpies, and when on the ground raised the points of the plumes so that they should not
touch the earth. They soon became very tame and would take food from the hand ; and the sight of a mealworm
would bring them down from the perch immediately. The moult was extremely rapid, the fine plumes
being thrown off in a few days; and these appeared to grow all at the same time in a bunch. It is therefore
Certain that these birds, after they attain the adult plumage, lose it only during the annual moult, like the
Peacock and many other richly ornamented birds.”
Male.—Feathers of the head and throat short, upright, velvety in texture. Head, back of neck, and upper part
of back rich yellow; rest of upper parts, wings, and tail rich reddish brown. Front, chin, throat, extending in
a curved line on the side of the neck to behind the eye, deep metallic green, becoming so dark upon the
chin as to appear black. The greater wing-coverts are edged with a line of bright yellow. Entire underparts
rich rufous brown. From each side of the body, beneath the wings, springs a mass of lengthened plumes, usually
lying along the body and drooping at the ends.. These can be elevated over the back at the will of the bird,