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DREPANORNIS CERVINICAUDA. Setter

Bennett's Bird of Paradise.

Drepanornis @albertisii (nec Sclater), Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. W. ix. p. 469 (1879), viii. pp. 16, 28.

Drepanornis bruijni (nec Oust. 1883, pt.), Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 553 (1881).

Drepanornis albertisti (nec Sclater), Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 445 (1882).—Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, iii.
App. p. 552 (1882).

Drepanornis albertisii cervinicauda, Sclater, P. 7. 8. 1883, p. 578.

Drepancrnis cervinicauda, Sharpe, in Gould’s B. New Guin. i. pl. 10 (1884).—Meyer & Finsch, Zeitschr. ges.
Orn. ii. p. 381, Taf. xix. (1885).—id. Ibis, 1886, p. 248.—D’Hamony. Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 1886,
pp- 505, 509.—Salvad. Age. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 155 (1890).— Goodwin, Ibis, 1890, p. 152.—Salvad.
Ann. Mus. Genoy. (2) ix. p. 585 (1890).—Id. Age. Orn. Papuasia, ili. p. 240 (1891).

 

Tris species represents, in the south-eastern end of New Guinea,
Mountains. It is a light-tailed form of that species, and the chara
appear to be perfectly constant.

Mr. Goldie was the first to forward specimens of a Drepanornis from South-easte
specimens from the Goldie River were seen by Dr. Ramsay to differ

the Prepanornis albertisii of the Arfak

cters which distinguish it are slight, but

ro New Guinea, and his
from typical specimens of D. albertisii
from the Arfak Mountains, and IT noticed the same differences in the specimens forwarded from the Taburi
district of the Astrolabe Range by Mr. Goldie, on a later occasion. As, however, only female individuals
were sent, both Dr. Ramsay and myself forebore, at the time, to bestow a specific name upon them, until
such time as male birds were examined.

In December, 1883, Dr. Sclater received, from the late Dr. George Bennett, of Sydney, adult birds of
both sexes from the Astrolabe Mountains, and it at once became evident that the Drepanornis of South-
eastern New Guinea was a distinct species from that of the mountains of the north-western portion of the
island. So far, D. cervintcauda, as Dr. Sclater named the Astrolabe bird, has not been found in any other
range than that of the Owen Stanley Mountains, and it has not yet been discovered in the Finisterre
Mountains, or in any portion of German New Guinea.

Dr. Ramsay has received many specimens at the Sydney Museum, and has likewise described the nest and
egg of the species, as follows :— .

~oolithe nest is a thin, rather flat structure, built between a horizontal bough in a fork of a thin branch er
has a slight depression about one inch deep, a network of wire rootlets is stretched across the fork, and
the nest proper built on them; it is composed of wiry grasses of a light reddish-brown colour, the platform
being of black wiry roots. | . .

«The egg is in length 1:37, by 1 inch in breadth ; it is of a light dull cream-colour, with 2 Se Eee
spotted all over with oblong dashes of reddish brown and light jpnaypltes grey, closer, Co the thick end.

Mr. Goodwin has given me the following note :—‘* Drepanornis cervinicauda ne some zone on le
Owen Stanley Mountains as Parotia lawesi, but is very seldom seen, and during Sir Wm. Macgregor’s
expeditions we were unable to sight a single specimen, ee we tear its call several times during oo
stay on the mountains, It keeps to the topmost branches - the re trees, and there it eee out its
song, which resembles that of the Nightingale!” As Mr. Gooding Ss that se Te e he oe
was obtained by the expedition, we may be allowed to question the singing powers o : le species, z eat as
yet denied to any Bird of Paradise. Doubtless some other bird was the possessor of this powerful song,
piieteminded (Mx. Goodwin of the Nightingale. ee i

The male may be described as very similar to that of D. albertisn, but distingurshed by its pa er rump and
more erecolonnct tail. The crown appears to want the lac gloss of the species oa me = ‘
consequently browner. The loral tuft of metallic feathers 1s steel-blue instead of purple or lilac. ota
length 12 inches, wing 6, tail 4-95, tarsus 1-4, * fucks markt: oa

The female is a lighter-coloured bird than that of D. albertisi, and the ¢ usky ne king surf:
are rather paler and more sparsely distributed. Total ae eh me 06.

The figures in the Plate represent a male and female of the natural size.