proé ump.

PARADISEA INTERMEDIA, pe ris.

De Vis’s Bird of Paradise.

Paradisea intermedia, De Vis, Rep. Orn. Coll. Brit. New Guinea, 1894, p. 7.—Rothschild, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club,
vi. p. xl (1897).

 

One of the most curious phenomena connected with the distribution of the Birds of Par
is the occurrence of intermediate forms which seem to connect species otherw

adise in New Guinea
ise distinctly Separate and
defined. The present species seems to be an excellent example of this interesting fact, for it is indeed an
‘‘intermediate ” species, as its name implies, presenting on the upper surface the appearance of P. auguste
victorié, while it resembles P. raggiana below.

The species was discovered by Sir William MacGregor on the Kumusi River, in South-eastern New Guinea.
I have availed myself of the opportunity afforded by the kindness of Mr. De Vis in lending a specimen to the
Hon. Walter Rothschild, to borrow it from the latter gentleman and describe and figure it in the present
work,

Adult male. General colour above straw-colour with a golden gloss, the scapulars and least wing-coverts
vinous brown with an ashy shade and a slight gloss of yellow; median coverts golden straw-colour ; greater
coverts, primary-coverts, and bastard-wing chestnut-brown like the quills, with faint straw-coloured edges ;
tail-feathers chestnut ; crown of head and neck straw-colour, extending in a collar round the lower throat ;
base of forehead, lores, feathers below the eye, cheeks, and throat metallic green, appearing velvety black
in front of the eye; chin velvety black; remainder of under surface of body vinous brown, the long flank-
plumes crimson, lighter on their upper aspect, and paler towards the bases, some of the outer plumes stiffened
and black at the ends; the chest velvety black, the plumage crisp; under wing-coverts pale vinous brown.
Total length 12°5 inches, culmen 1°65, wing 7, tail 5:1, tarsus 1°6, ilar sy lhounes about 16°5 inches. |

The figure in the Plate represents a male bird of the size of life, and is drawn from the specimen

mentioned above.

Pa

SS a

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