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MANUCODIA ATRA (fZess.),

Glossy-mantled Manucode.

Barita viridis, var., Less. Man. d’Orn. i. p. 140 (1828).

Phonygama ater, Less. Voy. Coq., Zool. i. pt. 2, p. 638 (1838).—Id. Traité d’Orn. p. 344 (1831).—Id. Compl.
Buff., Ois. p. 404 (1838).—Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 303 (1846).

Phonygama atra, Bp. Consp. Av. i. p. 368 (1850).—Finsch, Neu-Guinea, p. 173 (1865).

Phonygama viridis (nec Scop.), Wall. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) xx. p. 476 (1857).—Rosenb. Nat. Tijdschr.
Nederl. Ind. xxv. p. 235 (1863).—Id. J. f. O. 1864, p. 121.

Manucodia atra, Scl. Journ. Linn. Soc. ii. p. 162 (1858).—Gray, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 194.—Id. Cat. B. New Guin.
pp. 37, 59 (1859).—Id. P. Z.S. 1859, p. 158, 1861, p. 436.—Id. Hand-l. B. ii. p. 17, no. 6260 (1870).
—Elliot, Monogr. Parad. pl. 7 (1873).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genoy. vii. p. 781 (1875).—Id. &
D’Albert. tom. cit. p. 828 (1875).—Pelz. Verh. zool.-bot. Gesellsch. Wien, 1876, p. 719.—Salvad.
Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. ix. pp. 40, 189 (1876), x. p. 156 (1877).—Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soe. xiii.
pp. 317, 500 (1877).—Id. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. i. p. 183 (1877).—Salvad. P. Z.S. 1878, p. 98.—
Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, ili. p. 101 (1878), p. 265 (1879), iv. p. 97 (1879).—
D’Albert. Nuova Guinea, pp. 582, 584, 587 (1880).—Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii.
p. 504 (1881).—Id. Voy. ‘ Challenger,’ ii. Birds, p. 82 (1881).—Forbes, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 347.—Eudes-
Deslongch. Ann. Mus. Caen, i. p. 45 (1880).—Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, iii. App. p. 551 (1882).—
Musschenbr. Dagboek, pp. 126, 229 (1883).—Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, viii. p. 25
(1883).—Finsch, Vog. der Siidsee, p. 28 (1884).—Meyer, Zeitsch. ges. Orn. i. p. 293 (1884).—
Nehrk. J. f. O. 1885, p. 34.—Rosenb. Mitth. orn. Ver. Wien, 1885, p. 40.—Guillem. P. Z.S. 1885,
p- 646.—Meyer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. 1885, p. 374.—Id. Ibis, 1886, p. 342.—D’Hamony. Bull. Soc.
Zool. France, 1886, p. 510.—Salvad. Aggiunte Orn. Papuasia, il. p. 148 (1890).—Id. Ann. Mus.
Civic. Genov. (2) ix. p. 584 (1890).—Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p. xiv (1894).—Madarasz,
Aquila, i. p. 91 (1894).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) xvi. p. 103 (1896).—Reichen. J. f. O.
1897, p. 222.

Manucodia viridis, pt., Gray, P. Z.S. 1858, p. 194, 1861, p. 436.—Id. Hand-l. B. ii. p. 17, no. 6257 (1870).

Manucodia chalybea, pt., Gray, Cat. B. New Guinea, p. 37 (1859).—Sclater, P. Z.S. 1881, p. 450.

Chalybeus ater, Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Coraces, p. 121 (1867).—Rosenb. Malay. Arch. pp. 370, 395,
558 (1879).

Chalybeus viridis (nec Scop.), Rosenb. Reis naar Zuidoostereil. p. 47 (1867).

 

In my third volume of the ‘Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum’ [ separated Manucodia atra
from M. chalybeata, on the strength of the different colour of the crinkled feathers of the throat and
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fore-neck, these being oily-green in the last-named species, and steel-black with an edging of velvety-
’ § § ] sing J
black in 4. atra. A far better definition of the distinctive characters of the two species is given
by Count Salvadori in his ‘ Ornitologia della Papuasia,’ where he separates JZ. atra from JZ. chalybeata
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on account of the smooth metallic feathering of the interscapulary region, whereas in JZ, chalybeata
the feathers of this portion of the back have velvety-black transverse bands. I find that this difference
holds good throughout the series in the British Museum, and even immature birds of both species
can be recognized by these characters.
Manucodia atra Nas a somewhat extended distribution in the Papuan Sub-region, being found
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throughout the greater part of New Guinea, as well as in the adjacent Aru Islands, Mysol, Waigiou
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Ghemien, Batanta, and Salawati. Its range in New Guinea includes the Arfak district in the north-
west, as well as the Fly River and Port Moresby districts in the south, and it also extends to
German New Guinea.
Besides being the most common species of the genus, it is found at a lower altitude than the others.
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Lesson states that its habits resemble those of Crows, and that it feeds on fruit on the large trees.
Dr. A. R. Wallace, who observed it on the Aru Islands, writes :—‘‘ It is a very powerful and active
bird; its legs are particularly strong, and it clings suspended to the smaller branches, while devouring
the fruits on which alone it appears to feed.” D’Albertis states that it lives on fruits, and especially on
fies, while Von Rosenberg found it feeding on insects and worms. In South-eastern New Guinea the
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species is found in small troops and is very common in the neighbourhood of Port Moresby, and on

 

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