ASTRARCHIA STEPHANIA, Finsch

Princess Stephanie’s B

§ Meyer.

ird of Paradise.

Astrarchia stephanie, Finsch & Meyer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. ii, eSnise
D’Hamony. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xi, pp. 505, 509 ad
P. Z.5. 1889, p. 451.—Id. Ibis, 1890, p. 1
Id. Colon. Papers, no. 103, p. 113 (1890).
1891, p. 36.—Salvad. Agg. Orn. Pap.
p. 95 (1892).

pl. xviii. (1885).—Tid, Ibis, 1886, p.245,—
886 ).—Meyer, J.f. O. 1889, P- 321.—Goodwin,
53.—De Vis, Ann. Rep. Brit. New Guinea, p. 61 (1890),—
—Salvad. Age. Orn, Pap. ii. p. 151 (1890).—De vie Ibis,
ieee ae) (1891).—De Wis, AN, Rep. Brit. New Guinea,

a

Tur present wonderful bird was discovered in the Horseshoe Mo
and is, like the equally wonderful Paradisornis rudolph,

South-eastern New Guinea. The last-named bird was d

untains by the late Mr. Car] Hunstein,
an inhabitant of the Owen
edicated by Dr. Finsch to the
of Austria, and Astrarchia stephanie to the Crown Princess Stephanie.
is confined to the Owen Stanley R
discovery of the species, it has only been met with by Sir William McGregor
same range of mountains. Mr. H. O. Forbes did not me
Mountains, but saw it on one occasion.

Stanley Range, in
late Crown Prince
So far as is known at present the Astrarchig ange. Since Hunstein’s
during his expedition up the
et with it during his Journey to the Owen Stanley
The only notes on the habits of the species which
Mr. Goodwin in ‘The Ibis’ for 1890.
expedition and has written the followin

appear to have been published

as yet are those of
He was fortunate enough to

accompany Sir William McGregor’s
1g remarks :—“JIn the same locality (Mount Musgrave, 6000 to
9000 feet) we procured several female specimens of the Stephanie’s Par
being the first examples of that sex yet discovered.
known, was described by Dr. Me

adise-bird (Astrarchia stephanie),
The male bird, of which there is only
yer of Dresden from a specimen sent to E
It may be noted that, although we remained for some time in
species was seen after the first day or two.

one specimen
urope by the late Mr. Hunstein.
the same locality, no specimen of this rare
As I had not the good fortune to come
unable to give much information on this very interesting species.”
both sexes on Mount Suckling in July 1891 at a height of 7720 feet.

The type of this grand bird is in the Dresden Museum,
we had the pleasure of examining it in 1891.
the time :—

across one myself, I am
Sir William McGregor orocured
Sor |

where, by the courtesy of Dr. Meyer,
The following is the description which we wrote at

Adult male. General colour above olive-greenish, of a ve

lvety texture; ramp and upper tail-coverts
blackish; wing-coverts black with a slight olive-ereen

gloss; quills black, with a purplish gloss on the
Inner Secondaries ; tail-feathers black, the inner ones with white
the edges recurved as in Quiscalus major; head metallic steel-green, with a purple gloss, forehead
and sides of face as well as the throat and chest glossy emerald-green ; ear-coverts more steel-blue,
becoming purplish as they form a frill on each side of the nape; sides of the neck and a broad band
across the chest bronzy velvet, with lilac or purplish reflection, this chest-band edged below with
fiery copper, which Separates the breast from the fore neck; rest of under surface coppery ae pl
metallic green shades on the flanks and abdomen. Total length about 31 inches, culmen 1-3, wing 6:4,
tail about 26, tarsus 1-8.

shafts, and with a beautiful purple gloss,

Adult female. General colour above dull olive-brown, slightly mottled with black bases to the feathers ;
Wwing-coverts and quills velvety black, with a faint purplish gloss, narrowly edged with olive-brown ; tai
feathers velvety black, with a ye

: : 3 i : . ck tipped with rusty brown edges: remainder
glossed with oily green ; some of the feathers of the hind neck tipped with rusty brown edges ; é

ry faint purplish gloss ; head all round, throat, and fore neck black, slightly

. ‘, including the under tail-coverts: under
of under surface of body tawny buff, barred across with black, including the under tail eee |
om ere 5 . eee > ear > ends; the chest rather deeper
wibg-coverts and _ axillaries black, with bars of deep tawny buff near the ends; cs ne
7 x > harre y ack : S purpllsp ACK
tawny colour than the rest of the under surface and more closely barred with black ; quills pu | oa:
below. Total length 20°5 inches, culmen 1-25, wing 6, tail 13, tarsus 1-6.

i “i, iit 2 Tw C1 s were brought to Eneland by
The female described above is in the British Museum. Two specimens \ g g

  
 
 
 
  
   
  
 
 
 
   
   
  
    
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
   
  
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
   
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
   
 

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