DREPANORNIS ALBERTISLI, sevater.
D’Albertis’ Bird of Paradise.

Drepanephorus albertisit, Sclater, Nature, viii. pp. 151, 195 (1873).

Drepanornis albertisii, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, pp. 557, 560, pl. xlviii—tId. Nature, viii. p. 305, cum fig.
(1873).—HElliot, Monogr. Parad. pl. 21 (1873).—Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soe, Ht SYiop GO e——aIcle a
1874, pp. 177, 187.—Finsch, J. f. O. USAF ao 4 ee Vo yert me mma lmao aCe 1874,
p- 116.—Schl. in Rosenb. Reist. naar Geelvinkb. p. 117, note (1875).—Beccari, Ann. Mus. Civic.
Genov. vii. p. 711 (1875).—Gould, B. New Guinea, i. pl. xi. (1875).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic,
Genov. vil. pp. 785, 899 (1875) ; viii, p. 403 (1876) ; ix. p. 190 IS76)) xen nealind (1877).—Sharpe,
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. iii. p. 160 (1877).—D’ Albert. Nuova Guinea, pp. 80, 582, cum tab. (1880).—
Salvad. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche, ii. p. 549 (1881).—Eudes-Deslongch. Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat.
Caen, i. p. 15 (1880).—Cory, Beautiful and Curious Birds, part vi. (1883).—Mussch. Dagboek,
pp- 204, 235 (1883).—Guillem. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p- 649.—D’Hamony, Bull. Soc. Zool. France,
1886, pp. 505, 509.—Salvad. Age. Orn. Papuasia, ii. p. 155 (1890).—Sharpe, Bull. B. O. Club, iv.
p- xil (1894).

Epimachus wilhelmine, Meyer, Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Ind. 1873, p. 415.—Id. J. f. O. 1873, p. 405.—Finsch,
J. f. O. 1874, p. 54.—Meyer, t.c. p. 55.—Id. Zool. Gart. 1874, p. 116.—Id. Sitz. k. Akad. Wiss,
Wier, Iboxx. jo. 7/3, moxie (1874).—Sclater, Ibis, 1874, p. 186.—Meyer, Ibis, 1874, p. 303.

Epimachus vethi, Rosenb. Zool. Gart. 1874, p. 8.—Id. Reist. naar Geelvinkb. p. 116, pl. xviii. (1873).—Id.
Malay. Arch. pp. 552, 590 (1878-79).

Epimachus albertisii, Rosenb. Mitth. orn. Ver. Wien, 1885, p. 54.

 

 

Tuis interesting species of Sickle-billed Bird of Paradise was described in 1873 by Dr. Sclater, from
specimens procured in the Arfak Mountains by Signor D’Albertis. He proposed at first the name of
Drepanephorus for the genus, but this, being found to be preoccupied, was changed into Drepanornis.
Von Rosenberg had seen a female bird two years previously in the collection of Mr. Renesse van
Duivenbode, at Ternate, but the first specimens to be described were those obtained by D’Albertis. A few
months afterwards the species was also described by Dr. A. B. Meyer; since that date several specimens have
reached Europe, and the bird is to be seen in several public and private museums. Tbe species appears to
S be entirely confined to the Arfak Mountains in North-western New Guinea, being replaced in South-eastern
New Guinea by D. cervinicauda. Besides the specimens procured by D’Albertis at Hatam, it has also been
obtained at Andai by Dr. Beccari aud the hunters employed by the late Mr. Bruijn.
D’Albertis states that the species is very rare near Hatam, and many of the natives did not know it, but
others called it ‘Quarna.’ The food of the species doubtless consists of berries and insects, though the
7 specimens procured by D’Albertis had nothing in their stomachs excepting clean water.

Dr. Beccari writes :—

‘* Drepanornis is well known to the Arfaks under the name of ‘Sagroja’; it is not very rare, but difficult
to find, because, as the hunters assure me, it has no peculiar cry, so that it is only met with by chance. Its
inconspicuous colour makes it difficult to see. It is partial to places near recent clearings from 3000 to 5000
feet, as it has the habit of flying to dead trees and fallen trunks, about which it finds insects which form its
food. In the stomachs of the two specimens which I dissected I found only insects of various orders, ants
predominating, and the larvee of a lepidopterous insect.”

Adult male. General colour above brown, the rump tawny chestnut, shading into fawn-colour on the upper
tail-coverts, the tail being uniform fawn-colour; wing-coverts chestnut-brown, the rest of the wing being
paler and more tawny brown, the quills blackish brown on the inner webs, ine innermost secondaries pale
tawny brown like the back ; crown of head rich brown with a purple gloss; sides of head bare, with a line
of brown feathers drawn across the ear-coverts; lores and feathers in front of the eye and cheeks velvety
brown glossed with purple; throat rich purplish brown ; rest of the under surface of body chocolate-brown,
with a lilac gloss on the breast and abdomen ; across the lower breast a ear of dull een 3 Hou the sides
of the chest springs a tuft of fine purple feathers, brown at the base and tip; from the sides a the ae

another long tuft of plumes, chocolate-brown glossed with lilac, each ae aa with bar co
amethystine purple; under wing-coverts brown, the innermost of the greater series w hitish at the tip; quills

 

   
    
  
  
  
 
  
   
  
    
  
  
    
  
   
 
 
 
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

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