| OCR Text |
Show 1885.] DURING THE VOYAGE OF THE YACHT 'MARCHESA.' 653 any rate in the northern islands, where they have been collected for export for more than a hundred years. In the southern islands they may possibly exist in undiminished numbers ; but the prices have risen of late years, and while Wallace, in 1857, paid as little as sixpence for the native-prepared skins, they cannot now be obtained at Dobbo under two dollars. The largest market in the East for the skins of the burong mati, or Paradise birds, is at Macassar. Here the commoner sorts are brought in great ni.mbers, made up in parcels of twenty skins, known in the trade as koddies. These are all native-prepared skins, for the most part devoid of legs, and useless to the naturalist, besides being generally much moth-eaten. Practically, only six species come into the market:-"males" (P. apoda), "females" (P. minor), "red birds" (P. rubra), " many-wires" (S. alba), "green birds" (D. speciosa), and "king birds" (C. regius) ; and the trade prices for skins of medium quality per koddy are as follows :- P. apoda 90-100 gulden. P. minor 70- 90 ,, P. rubra 80-110 S. alba 110-130 D. speciosa 50- 70 ,, C. regius 30- 40 „ The gulden may be reckoned at one shilling and eightpence. The trade in Macassar is carried on chiefly by a few Dutch merchants, aud by various Chinamen, who likewise deal in gum-dammar, pearls, pearl-shell, and other productions of the eastern islands. The greater portion of the skins are sent to Paris, although London absorbs a considerable quantity. But few of them, however, find their way to Holland. 160. PARADISEA RUBRA, Lacep. Uranornis rubra, Salvad. op. cit. vol. ii. p. 623. a-g. 8 • Waigiou. h-m. Vix ad. 8 • Waigiou. n-s. Jr. 8 • Waigiou. t-i'. 2 • Waigiou. k'-n. 2 • Batanta. d. Jr. 3 • Batanta. Iris ruddy brown ; bill greenish yellow ; feet greenish brown. Length 34*0-36*0 centims., wing 15*5-18*4. Female smaller, length 30'0-34*0 centims., wing about 16*0. As in the case of most of the Paradiseidse, the young males are not to be distinguished from the females as far as regards plumage, though the latter are somewhat inferior in size. The first change appears to be the assumption of the metallic green of the head, simultaneously with a slight darkening of the chestnut on the upper breast, and a brightening of the yellow on the neck and wing-coverts. The two median rectrices then commence to elongate, and after a |
