V ar . A.
+. LESSER
P. B.
D escrip t ion,
P lace and
Manners.
Smaller Bird of Paradife, from Papua. Forr. F oy. p, 137'
THIS is every way, in- make and fhape, like the former, but
is Id's in fize > the length,, with the fcapular feathers in*
eluded, being not more than twenty-one inches. The bill is lead-
eoloured, with the point yellowilh, one inch and a half in length .
the eye furrounded with black: forehead and chin covered with
velvety black feathers, reflecting a glofs of green : throat and
fore part of the neck wholly green : the top of the head,, nape,
and half the neck behind, ferruginous yellow; lower half, quite
yellow : 'the back is. likewife yellow, with a dirty greyilh c a ll:
breaft, belly, wings, and tail, cheftnut: from the upper part of
the tail fpring two wire-like lhafts, as in the former bird, and a
tuft of herring-bone feathers from beneath each wing; thefe are
either of a delicate white,, or light yellow, the laft chiefly on the
fides,- where many of the fhorter ones have purple tips.
This bird is faid. to be found only in the Papua ijlands, where it
is called Shag* or Sbague; by the people of f ‘ornate,. Toffu, on
Boorong-papwwa. It is recorded, that the Papuans intoxicate
them with Cocculus indicus, fb as, to catch them with the hand |
they then draw out the bowels, fear the in fide with» a red-hot
iron, and afterwards put each into the hollow of a Bamboo for
prefervation. I have reafbn to believe that they do more than;
Amply exenterate them, as I have ever found that the fkins only
were preferved, and that in moft, if not all, even the bones of
the Jkull were taken away; whence the head, perhaps fmall by
nature, appeared Hill lefs than it fhould be,
S Thefe
Thefe build in tall trees, and are fuppofed not to migrate, like
the firft defcribed ; yet are faid, like them, to fly in flocks, preceded
by a king, who is black, with a purplifh caft, and finer
coloured than the reft.
The male is faid to have a longer neck and bill than the female. Male.
I efteem this a mere variety of the firft, notwithftanding the
«durances of authors about it, as above mentioned.
•Paradifea regia, Lin. Syjt. i. p. 166. ND 2. 2.
Le petit Oifeau de Paradis, Brif. orn. ii. p. 136. N° 2. pi. 13. f,2 .
Le Manucode, Buf. oif. iii. p. 163. p. 13-— PI. enl. 496.
Le Roi des Oifeaux de Paradis, San. Fey. p. 156. pi. 95.
R$x Avium Paradifearum, Rail Syn. p. 22. N° 10.
Suppofed King of the greater Birds of Paradife, Will. ^orn. p. 96. pi. 77,
EdvJe pl. 2 I I »
King's Bird, Forr. Voy, p. 141. N° 7.
Fr. Muf. Lev. Muf.
'J 'H IS bird is about the fize of a Lark, and near five inches * in
length. The bill is one inch long, of a yellowifh colour,
and very little bent: the upper mandible covered half way with
orange-coloured feathers: the eyes encircled with a black
plumage t at the internal angle o f the eye is a fpot of black : the
irides are yellow : the head, neck, back, tail, and wings, are of
a bright red colour; the crown brighteft 5 and the breaft approaching
to blood red; all having a rich fattin-like glofs : moft
part of the head is covered with foft fhort feathers, like velvet,
but the other parts are like feathers in common : on the breaft is a
D escrit ti»«.
# Forrefi fays feven inches* *
3 P a broad