PARADISEA RAGGIANA, Setater

a e 09 °
Marquis Raggi’s Bird of Paradise.

Paradisea raggiana, Sclater, P.Z.S. 1873, pp. 559, 697.—D’Alb. t. ¢. Pp. 559.—Sclater, N
(1873).—Elliot, Monogr. Parad. pl. 3 (1873).—Sclater, Ibis, 1874, Dame
Gart., Jan. 1875, p. 31.—Meyer, Nature, 1875, pp. 208, 268.—Id. Mitth.
note (1875).— Salvad. et D’Alb. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. vii. P- 289 (1875).—D’ Alb. P. Z. S. 1875 BS
532.—ld. Ibis, 1876, pp. 359, 360.—Scl. P. 7. S. 1876, p. 414.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ, a os
pp- 39, 191 (1876).—Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. W. 4. Pp. 387, 393 (1876) Sean oo
Guin. i. pl. 32 (1877).—D’Alb. Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. x. pp. 14, 20 (1877),—Salvad tae * a
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iii. p. 169 (1877).—Id. Journ. Linn, Soc. xiii. p. 318 (as77) os ace
(1878).—Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. W. iii. pp. 101, 266 (1378), iy. p. 97 (1879) a
Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. p. 687 (1879).—Rosenb. Malay. Archip. pp. 557, 590 (1879).—D’ Alb. et sae
Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. xiv. p. 100 (1879).—D’ Alb. Nuova Guin. p- 172 ete. Cesare on enn
Ann. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Caen, i. p. 24 (1880).—Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, ete. ii, p. 613 (1881).—
Musschenbr. Dagboek, pp. 184, 220 (1883).—Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. vii. p. 26 (1883) a
Rosenb. Mitth. orn. Ver. Wien, 1885, p. 35.—Chalmers & Wyatt, Ibis, 1885, p. 463.—Finsch & oe
Zeitschr. ges. Orn. 1885, p. 384.—Id. Ibis, 1886, p. 251.—Sharpe, Nature, vol. xxxiy. p. 340 (1886).—
d’Hamony. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xi. pp. 507, 509 (1886 ).—Tristram, Ibis, 1889, D. Bascal
Aggiunte Orn. Papuasia, etc. ii. p. 159 (1890).—Id. Ann. Mus. Civic. Gen, (2) ix. p. 585 (1890).—
Crowley, Bull. B. O. Club, i. p. xvi (1892).—Sharpe, op. cit. iv, p. xili (1894).—De Vis, Report British
New Guinea, pp. 6, 7 (1894).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. (2) xvi. p. 109 (1896).

ature, viii. p. 306
187.—Rosenb. Zool,

zool. Mus. Dresd. i, ae

 

Tuis species is remarkable for its red ornamental plumes, which distinguish it at once from all the ordinary
species of the genus Paradisea, which have these plumes yellow or orange. It appears to be entirely
confined to South-eastern New Guinea, the first specimens having been procured by Signor D’Albertis ai
Orangeisa Bay. Mr. Goldie obtained many specimens in the Port Moresby district, and it was found by the
late Dr. James at Aleya and in Hall Bay, and by Mr. Stone at Munikahila. According to the late
Carl Hunstein the species is found in the interior about fifteen miles from Port Moresby, but it was not met
with by him in the Horseshoe Mountains, its range extending from Basilisk Island to Bentley Bay.
Dr. Loria met with it on the southern slope of the Astrolabe Mountains at a place called Gerekanumu.

During Sir William Macgregor’s expedition to the Owen Stanley Mountains the species was found
everywhere up to 3000 feet.

Signor D’Albertis procured the species during his expedition to the Fly River, and gives the following note
on its habits:—‘‘I was rather fortunate in my excursion into the mountains; for I found Paradisea
raggiana, and obtained some beautiful specimens in full dress. In its voice, movements, and attitudes
it perfectly resembles the other species of the genus. It feeds on frait; and I could find no trace
of insects in the seven individuals which I prepared. It inhabits the dense forest, and is generally found
near the ravines—perhaps because the trees on the fruit of which it feeds flourish in the neighbourhood of
water. The female is always smaller in size than the male; and I find this sex less abundant, because, as I
believe, it was the season of incubation. ‘The female is more like the same sex of P. apoda than that of
P. papuana. The young male is like the female, but often recognizable by having distinguishable FANE of
the yellow collar which in the old male divides the green of the throat from the breast-feathers. The irides
are of a rather bright yellow, and the feet lead-colour with a reddish tinge. The long Oe in
individuals recently killed have a very bright tint, which they lose in a few days—even ina few hours. The
two middle tail-feathers are filiform, like those of P. apoda and P. papuana, and in no stage of development
resemble those of P. rubra. These two feathers are not so long as in P. apoda, and about equal to those of
P. papuana, Like its sister species, P. raggiana is an inquisitive bird, and often approaches from branch to
branch within a few yards of the hunter, and remains motionless for some seconds to observe its pursuer,
stretching out its neck, flapping its wings, and emitting a peculiar cry, upon the sound Oi winide se
individuals come forward to join it. When one is wounded and cries out, many others come forward as 1

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to protect it, and approach quite near, descending to the lowest boughs. The adult males frequent the toy

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