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.
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