SEMIOPTERA WALLACEL,
Standard-Wing.

Paradisea wallacei, G. R. Gray

im Proc. of Zool. Soc., part xxvii. p. 130.
Semioptera, G. R. Gray, Jb.

a

One of the most remarkable Insessorial birds that has been discovered for many years
to London by A. R. Wallace, Esq., from the island of Batchian, and to which Mr. (
generic appellation of Semioptera. How much gratified Mr. Wallace must hav
form first met his gaze! and how enthusiastically does
is surrounded !—determining to keep his discover

is the one just sent

G. R. Gray has given the
e been when this remarkable
he write on this and the other objects with which he

y secret, yet not resisting the temptation to make it
known when next he writes home. As many of my readers may not be

acquainted with the position of
the island of Batchian, I may state that it is one of the

Moluccas, and, according to Guthrie’s ‘ Geography,’
‘produces cloves, is very fruitful, and belongs to the Dutch ; longalon eben

5 Now, if there be one
nation which has paid more attention to the natur

al productions of their foreign possessions than
it is the Dutch: how, then, is it that so conspicuous a bird as the Semioptera st
Holland, and made known by Temminck or Schlegel? With wh
arrival have been hailed at their great Leyden Museum!
proceed to give a copy of Mr. Wallace’s letter to Mr. S
discovery :—

any other,
nould not have been sent to
at pleasure and enthusiasm would its
Thus much by way of prelude: I shall now

. Stevens, in which he announces his interesting

* Batchian, Moluccas, Oct. 29, 1858.
“Here I have been as yet only five days; but from the nature of the country, and what I have already

done, I am inclined to think it may prove one of the best localities I have yet visited. Birds are as yet
very scarce; but I still hope to get a fine collection, though I believe I have already the finest and most
wonderful bird in the island. I had a good mind to keep it a secret, but I cannot resist telling you. Ihave
anew Burd of Paradise! of a new genus !! quite unlike anything yet known, very curious and very hand-
some!!! When I can get a couple of pairs, I will send them overland, to see what a new Bird of Paradise
will really fetch. Had I seen the bird in Ternate, I should never have believed it came from /ere, so far
out of the hitherto supposed region of the Paradiseide. 1 consider it the greatest discovery I have yet
made; and it gives me hopes of getting other species in Gilolo and Ceram. There is also here a species
of Monkey—much further eastwards than in any other island; so you see this is a most curious locality,
combining forms of the East and West of the Archipelago, yet with species peculiar to itself. It also
differs from all the other Moluccas in its geological formation, containing iron, coal, copper, and gold, with
a glorious forest vegetation, and fine large mountain streams: it is a continent in miniature. ee Dateh
are working the coals; and there is a good road to the mines, which gives one easy access to the interior
forests.

“T can do nothing at drawing birds, but send you a horrible sketch of my discovery, that you may not
die of curiosity. I am told the wet season here is terrible, and that it begins in December; so I shall pro-
bably have to leave then.” eae

The sketch alluded to in the above extract having been placed in Mr. G. R. Gray’s hands for examination
and comparison with other known species, the following notes of that gentleman relative to it were read to
the meeting (of the Zoological Society, March 22nd, 1859) :— = eae

“This bird proves, as Mr. Wallace remarks in his letter, to be a new form : It has, Wee oS 1e ao
coverts of each wing, two long shafts, both of which are webbed on Se at the a : : is a ae
sion of these peculiar winged standards that induces me to ores os a the ee ee ede
Semioptera ; and I further add the provisional specific name of wallacit, which appellation thin ey e
due to Mr. Wallace for the indefatigable energy he has hitherto shown in the advancement of ornithologica

- >
: she alities rarely if ever travelled by naturalists.
and entomological knowledge, by visiting localities rarely if ever trave eee