DREPANORNIS GEISLERI, Meyer.

Geisler’s Bird of Paradise.

Drepanorms geislert, Meyer, Abhandl. k. zool. Mus. Dresden, 1892-93, no. 3, p. 15 (1893).—Sharpe, Bull. Brit.
Orn. Club, iv. p. xii (1894).—Reichenow, J. f. O. 1897, es

 

Tus species of Drepanornis is known only from a female specimen obtained by the brothers Geisler on the
north-western side of the Sattel-Berg range in Eastern New Guinea at a height of nearly 3000 feet.
According to the natives, it is common, but only the hen bird was obtained by the travellers. The
native name is ‘* Vaun.”

Dr. A. B. Meyer, who has described the species, is of opinion that it is quite recognizable from both
D. albertisi and D. cervinicauda. Although allied to D. albertis?, Dr. Meyer states that this species can be
distinguished by the olivaceous colour of the upper surface and by the less amount of violet on the head,
by the greyish colour on the neck, and by the under surface of the body being pale fulvous instead of rufous.
The throat is more grey and the fore-neck and breast have narrower cross-bars, and the quills below are
somewhat darker in colour. He further remarks that the head of D. getseri exhibits less brown colour,
and that the band on the nape is not sharply defined, but has a greyish appearance, while the back and the
wings are more olive-brown. The underside shows greater differences from that of D. albertist, as it is
altogether lighter and lacks the reddish tone of the last-named species. D. cervinicauda is to be
distinguished from D. geislert by the much lighter colour of the tail.

 

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