The Ternate people call them Burong Papua, or Papua birds; sometimes Manuco dewata, and likewise Soffu or Sioffu. The Amboyna natives call them Manu, key, aroo, the bird of the islands, Key and Aroo; because the natives of the two last places bring them for sale to Banda and Amboyna. At Aroo, the people call them Fanaan. Properly, these birds are not found in Key, which is fifty Dutch miles east of Banda; but they are found at the Aroo islands (lying fifteen Dutch miles further east than Key) during the westerly or dry monsoon, and they return to New Guinea as soon as the easterly or wet monsoon sets in. They come always in a flock of thirty or forty, and are led by a bird which the inhabitants of Aroo call the King, distinct from the Little King Bird of Paradise. This leader is black, with red spots, and constantly flies higher than the rest of the flock, which never forsake him, but settle as soon as he settles; a circumstance which occasions their ruin, when their king alights on the ground; whence they are not able to rise, on account of the singular structure and disposition of their plumage. They are likewise unable to fly with the wind, which would destroy their loose plumage, but take their flight constantly against it, cautious not to venture out in hard-blowing weather, inasmuch as a strong gale frequently obliges them to fall to the ground. It is also stated, that in Aroo, these birds settle on the highest trees, especially on a species of small-leaved Waringa trees, that bear red berries, on which they chiefly live. (Ficus Benjamina? Hort. Malab. 3. f. 55. Rumph. Amboyn. 3. f. 90.) The natives catch them with birdlime[17] and in nooses, or shoot them with blunt arrows; but though some are still alive, when they fall into their hands, the catchers kill them immediately; and often cut their legs off, draw the entrails, dry and fumigate them with sulphur, or smoke only.[18]
For the delicacy and harmony in the arrangement of the colours in this bird, as well as its remarkably light and delicate appearance, it may well be named the Bird of the Sun, or of Paradise, for it surpasses in beauty the whole of the feathered creation, appearing more like a celestial inhabitant than one of earth. Although the bird has been nine years in Mr. Beale’s aviary, yet it does not exhibit the appearance of age, but is lively and healthy.
The neck of this bird is of a beautiful and delicate canary yellow colour, blending gradually into the fine chocolate colour of the other parts of the body; the wings are very short, and of a chocolate colour. Underneath them, long, delicate, and gold-coloured feathers proceed from the sides in two beautiful and graceful tufts, extending far beyond the tail, which is also short, of a chocolate colour, with two very long shafts of the same hue proceeding from the urupigium. At the base of the mandibles the delicate plumage has during one time (according as the rays of light are thrown upon it) the appearance of fine black velvet, and at another a very dark green, which contrasts admirably with the bright emerald of the throat. There is nothing abrupt or gaudy in the plumage of this bird; the colours harmonize in the most elegant manner, and the chasteness does not fail of exciting our admiration. The mandibles are of a light blue; irides bright yellow; and the feet of a lilac tint.
This elegant creature has a light, playful, and graceful manner, with an arch and impudent look; dances about when a visitor approaches the cage, and seems delighted at being made an object of admiration: its notes are very peculiar, resembling the cawing of the raven, but its tones are by far more varied.[19] During four months of the year, from May to August, it moults. It washes itself regularly twice daily, and after having performed its ablutions, throws its delicate feathers up nearly over the head, the quills of which feathers have a peculiar structure, so as to enable the bird to effect this object. Its food, during confinement, is boiled rice, mixed up with soft egg, together with plantains, and living insects of the grasshopper tribe; these insects when thrown to him, the bird contrives to catch in its beak with great celerity; it will eat insects in a living state, but will not touch them when dead.
I observed the bird, previously to eating a grasshopper, given him in an entire or unmutilated state, place the insect upon the perch, keep it firmly fixed with the claws, and, divesting it of the legs, wings, &c., devour it, with the head always placed first. The servant who attends upon him to clean the cage, give him food, &c., strips off the legs, wings, &c., of the insects when alive, giving them to the bird as fast as he can devour them. It rarely alights upon the ground, and so proud is the creature of its elegant dress, that it never permits a soil to remain upon it, and it may frequently be seen spreading out its wings and feathers, and regarding its splendid self in every direction, to observe whether the whole of its plumage is in an unsullied condition. It does not suffer from the cold weather during the winter season at Macao, though exposing the elegant bird to the bleak northerly wind is always very particularly avoided. Mr. Beale is very desirous of procuring a living female specimen of this bird, to endeavour, if possible, to breed them in his aviary.[20]
The sounds uttered by this bird are very peculiar; that which appears to be a note of congratulation resembles somewhat the cawing of a raven, but changes to a varied scale in musical gradations, as he, hi, ho, haw, repeated rapidly and frequently, as lively and playfully he hops round and along his perch, descending to the second perch to be admired, and congratulate the stranger who has made a visit to inspect him; he frequently raises his voice, sending forth notes of such power as to be heard at a long distance, and as it would scarcely be supposed so delicate a bird could utter; these notes are whock, whock, whock, whock, uttered in a barking tone, the last being given in a low note as a conclusion.
A drawing of the bird, of the natural size, was made by a Chinese artist. This was taken one morning to the original, who paid a compliment to the artist, by considering it one of his own species. The bird advanced stedfastly towards the picture, uttering at the same time its cawing congratulatory notes; it did not appear excited by rage, but pecked gently at the representation, jumping about the perch, knocking its mandibles together with a clattering noise, and cleaning them against the perch, as if welcoming the arrival of a companion.
After the trial with the picture, a looking-glass was brought, to see what effect it would produce upon the bird, and the result was nearly the same; he regarded the reflection of himself most stedfastly in the mirror, never quitting it during the time it remained before him. When the glass was removed to the lower, from the upper perch, he instantly followed, but would not descend upon the floor of the cage when it was placed so low.