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P A R A D I S E A A P O D A , Linn.
Great Bird of Paradise.
The Greater Bird of Paradise, Edwards, Birds, iii. p. 110, pi. 110 (1750).—Lath. Gai. Syii. ii. p. 471 (1782;.
L'Oiseau de Paradis, Briss. Orn. ii. p. 130, pi. xiii. fig. 1 (17G0).—Montb. Hist. Nat. Ois. iii. p. 1S2.
Paradisea apoda. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 105 (176G).—Pcnn. Faun. lad. p. 40 (1781).—Gin. Syst. \at . i. p. '.i'M
(1788).—Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 194 (1790).—Daud. Orn. ii. p. 270 (1800).—Cuvicr, Ri gne Anim. i. p. 40:)
(1817, pt.).—Yieill. N. Diet, d'liist. Nat. xxx. p. 110 (181!)).—Tcmm. Man. d'Orn. p. Iv (1820).—
Rauz. Element. Zool. iii. pt. iv. p. 60 (1822).—Waglcr, Syst. Av., Paradisea, sp. 1 (1827).—Cuvier,
Règne Anim. i. p. 426 (1829),—Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 322 (1847).—lip. Consp. i. p. 412 (18.)0).—Cab.
Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 213 (1851).—Wall. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Uist. (2), xx. pp. 411,470 (1857).—Sclater,
Journ. Proo. Linn. Soc. ii. p. 162 (1858).—Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 19».—Id. Cat. li. New Guinea,
pp. 35, 58 (1859).—Wall. Ibis, 1859, p. 111.—Gray, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 157.—Id. P. Z.S. 1851, p. 430. -
Wall. Ibis, 1801, p. 289.—Sclll.J. f. O. 1801, p. 384.—Wall. P. Z. S. 1802, pp. 133, 154, lOO, 151.—
Rosenb. Nat . Tijdsehr. Nederl. Ind. xxv. p. 242 (1803).—Id. J. f. 0 . 1884, p. 120.—Finsch, Neu-Gninea,
p. 173 (1805).-Schl. Nederl. Tijdsehr. Dierk. iii. p. 342 (1800).-Rosenb. Nat. Tijdsehr. Nederl. Ind.
xxix. p. 137 (1867).—Id. Reis naar de Znidoostereil. p. 41 (1807).—Schl. Mus, Pays-Bas, Coraccs,
p. 79 (1807).—Wall. Malay Arch. ii. p. 390 (1809).—Gray, IIand-1. B. ii. p. IC, no. 0247 (1870).—
Elliot, Monogr. Paradiseidie, pi. 2 (1873).—Brehm, J. f. 0 .1875, p. 453.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov.
ix. p. 191 (1870).—Sharpc, Cat. B. Brit, Mus. iii. p. 100 (1877).—Beecari, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. ix.
pp. 393-390 (1877).—Salvad. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 98.—Gould, B. New Guinea, i. pi. 30 (187D).—Rosenb.
Malay. Arch. p. 360 (1879).—D'Albert. Nuova Guinea, pp. 110, 121, 133 (18S0).—Eudes-Dcslongch.
Ann. Mus. d'llist. Nat. Caen, i. p. 20 (1880)—Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 594 (1881).—Id. Re]). Voy.
H.M.S. 'Challenger,' Birds, p. 81 (1881).—Cory, Beautiful and Curious Birds, pi. 18 (1883).—
Musschenbr. Dagboek, pp. 170, 219 (1883).—Meyer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. i. p. 293, taf. 17. fig. 2 (1884).—
Rosenb. MT. orn. Ver. Wicn, 1885, p. 17 (pt.).—Guillem. P. Z. S. 18S5, p. 652.—D'llamonv. Bull. Soc.
Zool. France, 1880, p. 509. -Bar t let t , P. Z. S. 1887, p. 392.—Salvad. Agg. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 159 (1890).
L'Oiseau de Paradis des Moluques, Daubent. Pl. Eni. iii. p. 254.
Great Bird of Paradise from Aroo, Forrest, Voy. New Guinea, p. 135 (1780, teste Salvadori).
Paradisea major armna, Forster, Zool. Ind. p. 31 (1781),
L'Émeraude, Audeb, et Vieill, Ois. Dor. ii. p. 9, pi. 1 (1802).
Le Grand Oiseau de Paradis Émeraude, Levaill. II. N. Ois. de Parad. i. pis. 1 & 3 (1800, nec pl. •2 = P. minor).
Paradisea major, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vii. p. 480, pl. 58 (1809).—Less. Traité, p. 330 (1831).—Id. Ois. de Paradi.s,
Syn. p. 0.—Id. Ilist. Nat. p. 155, pl. 0 (1835, nec descr. î).—Id. Compi. Buff. p. 458 (1838, nec
descr. s ).
Paradisea smaragdina, Dumont, Diet. Sei. Nat. xxxvii. p. 501 (1825).
Paradisea apoda, var. wallaeiam, Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, pp. 181, 193.—Id. Cat. B. New Guinea, pp. 35, 58 (1859).—
Id. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 158.—Rosenb. Reis naar de Zuidoostereil. p. 45 (1807).
Great Bird of Paradise, Wall. Malay Arch. ii. p. 252, eum fig. (1809).
As duly recorded by Count Salvadori, wlio has written an excellent monograpluc aeeount of this species, it
enjoys a soinewliat notable history. It is the original " Bird of Paradise," the bird without any feet (hence
the name apoda of Linnaius), whicli flew about continuously and never slept, unless when resting for a few
moments suspended by the long wire-like appendages to the central tail-feathers. In a cavity in the back
of the male the female laid her eggs, and by a convenient depression in the breast of the lien bird the latter
was enabled to sit and hatch out her offspring, and further myths ennobled the reproduction of the Birds
of "Paradise."
It is sad to liave to dispel these fanciful illusions, which arose from a very simple cause. The earliest skins
of this magnificent bird reached Europe in the usual rough way in wliich the natives prepared them, generally
witliout feet, sometimes too without wings, and only one traveller, Antonio Pigafetta, seems to have stated
that the species really possessed feet like any other bird, as recorded by Aldrovandns. This record,
nevertheless, did not prevent Linnaius from applying the nauie apoda, or "footless," bird to the species. It
was even said to migrate from the Arn Islands to New Guinea and back.
The first traveller who gave an account of the species as it really exists was undoubtedly Dr. A. R. Wallace,
from whose work on the ' Malay Archipelago' the following extracts have been taken :—
" When the earliest European voyagers reached the Moluccas in search of cloves aud nutmegs, which were
then rare and precious spices, they were presented with the dried skins of birds so strange and beautiful as
to excite the admiration even of those wealth-seeking rovers. The .Malay traders gave them the name of
' Manuk dewatee' (or God's birds) ; and the Portuguese, finding that they had no feet or wings, and not being
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