maller trees in the
thickest parts of the forest, feeding on various fruits; often of a very
large size for so small a bird. It is very active both on its wings and
feet, and makes a whirring sound while flying, something like the
South American manakins. It often flutters its wings and displays the
beautiful fan which adorns its breast, while the star-bearing tail wires
diverge in an elegant double curve. It is tolerably plentiful in the
Aru Islands, which led to it, being brought to Europe at an early period
along with Paradisea apoda. It also occurs in the island of Mysol and in
every part of New Guinea which has been visited by naturalists.

We now come to the remarkable little bird called the "Magnificent,"
first figured by Buffon, and named Paradisea speciosa by Boddaert,
which, with one allied species, has been formed into a separate genus
by Prince Buonaparte, under the name of Diphyllodes, from the curious
double mantle which clothes the back.

The head is covered with short brown velvety feathers, which advance on
the back so as to cover the nostrils. From the nape springs a dense mass
of feathers of a straw-yellow colour, and about one and a half inches
long, forming a mantle over the upper part of the back. Beneath this,
and forming a band about one-third of an inch beyond it, is a second
mantle of rich, glossy, reddish-brown fathers. The rest of the bath is
orange-brown, the tail-coverts and tail dark bronzy, the wings light
orange-buff: The whole under surface is covered with an abundance of
plumage springing from the margins of the breast, and of a rich deep
green colour, with changeable hues of purple. Down the middle of the
breast is a broad band of scaly plumes of the same colour, while the
chin and throat are of a rich metallic bronze. From the middle of the
tail spring two narrow feathers of a rich steel blue, and about ten
inches long. These are webbed on the inner side only, and curve outward,
so as to form a double circle.

From what we know of the habits of allied species, we may be sure that
the greatly developed plumage of this bird is erected and displayed in
some remarkable manner. The mass of feathers on the under surface are
probably expanded into a hemisphere, while the beautiful yellow mantle
is no doubt elevated so as to give the bird a very different appearance
from that which it presents in the dried and flattened skins of the
natives, through which alone it is at present known. The