SEMIOPTERA WALLACTI

(Gray).
1a? 7
Wallace’s Standard-wing.

Paradisea wallacet, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 130.—Schlecel. J. f.O. 1861 5
Coraces, p. 91 (1867). org wo 1861p. BSor sid evinte: Pays-Bas,
Paradisea (Semioptera) wallacii, Sclater, Ibis, 1859, p. 210.
Semioptera wallacn, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 351.—Sclater,
pl. 3 (1859 ).—Sclater, Ibis, 1860, p. 26, pl. 2.—Wallace, Proc. Zool, Soc. 1860, p. 61
Soc. 1860, p. 355.—Wallace, Ibis, 1861, p. 212.—Rosenb. J. f. 0. 1864, p i ae
p. 105 (1865).—Gould, Handb. B. Austr. ii. p- 532 (1865).—Finsct ie
Malay Archip. ii. pp. 41, 409, 419, cum tab. (1869).—E
Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vii. p- 785 (1875), ix. p.

Ibis, 1859, p. 322.—Gould, B. Austr. Suppl.

ay, Proc. Zool.

25.—Finsch, Neu-Guinea,

1, J. f. O. 1866, p. 135.— Wallace

lliot, Monogr, Parad. pl. 18 (1873).—Salvad,

190 (1876).—Shar irds Bri

p- 178 (1877 ).—Eudes-Deslongch. Ann. Mus. Caen, i. p- ts Ca . a
p. 572 (1881).—Guillem. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 574.—D’Hamonv. Bull. coe bate Fam a
p. 510.—Salvad. Age. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p- 157 (1890).—Sharpe a

Semioptera wallacu, var. halmahere, Salvad. Orn.
p. 157 (1890).

Epimachus wallacit, Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 105, no. 1276 (1869).

lil.
li.
france, 1886,
, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p- xiii (1894),
Papuasia, ete. ii, p. 573 (1881).—Id. Age. Orn. Papuasia, ll.

—Musschenbr. Daeboek 203) 2% :
: c . Dag » pp. 2038, 235 (1883 ).—
Rosenb. Mitth. orn. Ver. Wien, 1885, DOs ( )

Epimachus wallacet, var. halmaher@, Musschenbr. Dagboek, pp. 204, 235 (1883).
Semioptera gouldi, Boucard, Humming-Bird, i. p. 43.
Semioptera halmahere, Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p- xill (1894),

 

Tuis wonderful Bird of Paradise was discovered in the island of Batchian in the Moluccas, and was
considered by Dr. Wallace to be one of the most important of the discoveries made by him during his celebrated
expedition to the Malay Archipelago, as was undoubtedly the case. He likewise met with a Standard-wing
in Halmahéra, or Gilolo, as it was then called, and be noted certain differences, which have since been
considered sufficient by Count Salvadori to separate the Halmahéra bird as a variety, under the name
Semioptera wallacii, var. halmahere. On looking over the series in the British Museum, where we have
specimens from both islands, I am inclined to disregard the greater amount of violet on the crown as only
of slight importance, neither can I see much in the less plentiful amount of the feathering of the frontal
plumes, which does not show forth very strongly; but the longer shield-plumes are an evident if a slight
character, and may be sufficient for those who wish to separate S. halmahere as a race of S. wallacii.

Very little has been recorded of the habits of this extraordinary bird, and the following is Dr. Wallace’s
account of it in his well-known work on the Malay Archipelago.

He thus relates his first discovery of this wonderful Bird of Paradise in the island of Batchian:—* Just
as I got home, I overtook Ali returning from shooting, with some birds hanging from his belt. He seemed
much pleased, and said, ‘ Look here, Sir, what a curious bird,’ holding out what at first completely puzzled
me. I saw a bird with a mass of splendid green feathers on its breast, elongated into two glittering tufts ;
but what I could not understand was a pair of long white feathers, which stuck straight out from each
shoulder. Ali assured me that the bird stuck them out this way itself, when fluttering its wings, and that
they had remained so without his touching them.” Again he writes :—‘* On lifting the cat ee
feathers are seen to arise from two tubular horny sheaths, which diverge from near the point of junction of
the carpal bones.”

The following note was given by Dr. Wallace to the late Mr. John Gould :—

rel rests, ¢ is < st constantly in motion. It
ulitve Semioptera frequents the lower trees of the virgin forests, and is almo antly os
and even to the vertical smooth trunks almost as easily
tween that of Paradisea apoda
their

flies from branch to branch, and clings to the twigs
as a Woodpecker. It continually utters a harsh croaking ery; something be
The males, at short intervals, open and flutter
shields on each side of the breast. Like
which renders

and the more musical cry of Cicinnurus regis.
wings, erect the long shoulder-feathers, and expand the elegant oe
birds far outnumber the fully plumaged birds,
loped until the third or fourth yee.
occasionally. I have obtained

the Birds of Paradise, the females and young
it probable that the extraordinary accessory plumes are not fully devel
The bird seems to feed principally upon fruit, but it probably takes insects

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